Empress
by Queen Avreina
Summary: All Padmé wants is to get to know her children. The problem? Bail Organa won't let her see Leia, Luke, or work with the Alliance. Padmé gets ticked off and takes drastic measures with the help of our favorite ex-Sith Lord. See title for a hint. Post ROTJ
1. Author's Notes

**Hey to all. Welcome to my third story, _Empress_. I'm just going to give you the basic gist of the story. It's rather complicated, so I suggest reading what's below. But, hey, if you want to go on, be my guest. **

**Characters: **Anakin Skywalker/Vader, Padmé Amidala, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, the handmaidens Eirtaé, Sabé, Dormé, and Cordé, Admirals Piett and Ackbar, Chewbacca, R2, 3PO, and, for good measure, a few OCs.

**Pairings: **Anakin/Padmé, Han/Leia, Obi-Wan/Sabé, and mild Lando/OC

**Episode VI: **Basically, the story line is the exact same -- Vader cremated, Palpatine killed by Vader, the Rebels win. However, the changes: Han never offers to step down for Luke, and Leia never tells Han that Luke is her brother. Luke doesn't see the Jedi at the celebration.

**Post Episode VI: **Bail Organa, killed four years before with Alderaan, is found unconscious by the Alliance on the floor of the command center. Obi-Wan wakes up in the Jedi Temple, in the Council Room, along with Yoda and Mace Windu. The four of them side with the Alliance.

Padmé Amidala finds herself snuggled against Anakin Skywalker, handsome and human. Both of them are beyond shocked. Then, she remembers what he has done (the dead watch the living all of the time). She realises that she still loves Anakin Skywalker. In fear of loving what was once Darth Vader, she tells him that she cannot bear to be with him, and she flees for the Alliance, knowing that her children will be there. One little problem: Luke's away on some mission, and he won't be back for a month. So she reasons she can wait a month. And then she sees the adoptive father of her daughter.

**Plot: **_Empress_ begins with Padmé and Bail arguing furiously over Leia. Padmé is threatened, and she finds herself fleeing back into Anakin's arms. He (surprise, surprise) takes her back. She remembers the words he said to her so long ago ... She begs him to use his old authority to take over the remnants of the Empire. Eventually, they work out a plan. Anakin puts on his old suit, claiming the throne as Vader. Padmé plays the perfect trophy wife while really helping restore the galaxy.

And then Leia sees Padmé. Everything changes.

Because neither side is going to give her away so easily.

**Reviewing: ** I won't threaten to stop writing because I don't have any reviews or anything, so don't feel obliged to leave one... Even though getting reviews is like getting a mountain of candy every time.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Star Wars_.


	2. She's My Daughter

**Chapter One: No, she's _my _daughter!**

** Posted Nov. 2nd, 2008**

The sleek Nubian craft landed almost soundlessly. Passing rebel men spared more than a few glances at its sleek, chrome-plated surface. The ramp slowly lowered, a faint amount of steam billowing from the hatch. The passengers descended, the leader - a woman, medium height - walking with a careless grace that caught the mens' attention more than the ship itself. The two men behind her, obviously bodyguards, dutifully followed.

The woman's heels slapped the steel ramp, the sound echoing obnoxiously off the walls of the dark hangar.

With a flick of her hands, she summoned an officer. Five minutes were heatedly spent arguing with the man. No, she didn't have a "pass" or card, but she _had_ to speak with Bail and Mon. Eventually, of course, he caved, and lead her through the halls.

_Kamino,_ she thought with distaste and unease. The walls were white as white could be, the frames in a rounded square. Windows in the wall provided a clear view to both of the hangars she had just left - dark, littered with orange-dressed men, and full of ancient ships.

Outside, she knew rain pounded heavily. Better inside than out.

And then her guide stopped, opened a door, and vanished.

She stepped inside.

The room was circular, dead white, armed with only a white round table in the middle. An _occupied_ table.

The occupant jerked his head up.

The man lurched to his feet. He had a black gotee and black closely cropped hair. He wore an Alderaanian style suit with a cape/cloak around his shoulders.

"Good evening, Bail," she said. She pulled back her own hood.

"Senator Amidala!" the prince choked out. He sank back into the chair. "It's not just me, then. I was wondering. Do you know what-?"

Padmé shook her head silently. Why would she know what was going on? She walked slowly to the table, taking a seat opposite him.

She wondered how to break the news. He wasn't going to take it well. Best go in easy, she reasoned, then winced at her grammar.

"Bail, I'd love to sit and talk about the sheer impossibility of this actually happening, but I honestly am here for more pressing matters. As least for right now."

She shifted her skirts, waiting for him to get the subtle hinting. He stared at her blankly.

The blood rushed to her face, and she could hear the buzzing from the lights above. Why couldn't he just understand the inference?

"My _children_, Bail. My twins. I want to see them."

Bail Organa's composed face instantly lost its composure for the briefest of seconds. Then he forced a smile.

"I'm, ah, afraid that isn't possible."

Padmé stared at him. "What?" She couldn't even formulate the proper words to express her disbelief.

"Well, your son is out performing an errand with General Calrissian, and-"

She heaved a breath of relief. "I can wait, Bail. It's alright. What about Leia?" And she'd thought that he meant -

"Padmé, I mean, you can't see her. She's not even your legal daughter anymore; she's mine. I think it best for her not knowing your story."

Dead silence. She was so shocked that she couldn't even speak.

A solid two minutes passed. Bail's forced smile vanished.

Finally, she managed, "She's my daughter, Bail. Forget the laws! I just want to meet her, to speak to her. You can't keep me from her."

The prince stood abruptly. "I can, and I will. You're downright foolish if you think that I will allow any sort of contact."

Again, Padmé Amidala, former queen and senator, was struck speechless.

She lurched to her feet as well.

"No, you can't! I am her _mother_! You know the law as well as I do!" She stopped, fixing him with an absolutely vicious glare. "Or maybe you're ignoring it for your means!"

Bail's fists clenched. "I am not in this for myself! I cannot bring myself to allow my only child to tossed to the hands of a monster. Or at least the monster's _wife_," he spat contemptuously. "The only thing you will do is corrupt her thoughts, stop her from feeling."

"Anakin is not a monster," she hissed. "Vader is. I have no intentions of letting my daughter into his hands. And corrupt, Bail?"

"Your _beloved_ has tortured her, maimed her, destroyed her home planet! Where have you been all these years? What claim do you have to her, other than blood?"

"I have been dead, you idiot! You saw me die! Where were _you_ when the Sith took Leia?"

He stared at her, eyes narrowed. "He's alive, isn't he?"

Padmé froze. Her instincts suddenly screamed for Anakin... "He? He who?"

The Alderaanian senator exploded. "You know damn well who I mean, Amidala! Vader's back! You're_ protecting_ him! How can you do that after all he's done? Don't you care anymore?"

He paused for breath, rapping his fists against the table. The sound echoed throughout the room, but neither of them heard it.

"I will never let her near you. Never. And for the record, she would hate you! She would hate-"

Padmé swung her fist squarely into his face. For a moment, it was difficult to tell who was more shocked: her or the prince.

But then she composed herself.

"If that is how you feel, then, Bail." She gathered her gown neatly.

She stepped towards the door. And, feeling remarkably like a vilain in a holovid, she vowed, "I will hunt my children until I die, _Your Majesty_. Leia _will_ know me as her true mother, and will address me as such."

She glared and turned, walking out on the Alliance and all that she had ever stood for.

* * *

Ex-Senator Mon Mothma stared at Bail. It was the same room, almost the same drill.

"Bail, what happened to your face?"

Bail winced, reaching up to touch the mottled red and purple splotch on his cheek. "Oh. The former senator of Naboo happened."

Mon Mothma lifted an auburn eyebrow in disdain.

"You mean little Pooja Naberrie?"

"No, Mon, I mean Padmé Amidala."

More silence.

"Senator Amidala was here? Why didn't you com me? We should have- wait. Why isn't she here now? Why does she have something to do with your face?"

Bail gave a harsh laugh. "She _slapped _me."

Mon Mothma stared at his bruised face, then looked away.

"I don't believe that she would have slapped you. She was always so level headed. She always wanted the best for the people. She was so-"

"Vader's alive. She's supporting him."

There was a gasp.

"But Bail - _why_?"

Bail stroked his gotee. He knew that Mon hadn't spent a lot of time around the Jedi.

"The only rational solution is that she doesn't know what she's doing. Vader must have been there before she came back. I can only imagine how he managed to twist her mind to see his views..."

"Bail, why her?"

"Because, Mon, she's a beautiful woman who hasn't lived to see her twenty-eighth year. She's well known, well credited. People who held her views will turn to the new empire. Basically, he needs a trophy to hang on his arm at functions. And to ..."

He stopped.

"To what?" she whispered, even though she knew the answer.

"He needs an heir, Mon. He needs her to get him an heir. She came asking for Leia."

Dead silence.

_"Leia?" _breathed the Chandrillan senator. "Why her?"

"Later, Mon. The others need to hear this, too."

They lapsed into silence.

* * *

Secret passageways were convenient. She had caught the tail end of the first conversation and the start of the second. Leia Organa watched her father and her mentor leave the room in silence.


	3. Fate

**Chapter Two: Fate**

**Posted November 6**

PADMÉ was in sheer agony. The agony wasn't physical. It was mental. Her mind screamed for was she couldn't have: Leia. Luke, she could have Luke once he returned, but Leia...

She wanted to sob, but she felt as if there weren't any tears left. She wanted to rant, but her throat was raw from holding back screams. She wanted to die, but she was already dead. She couldn't do anything.

* * *

THE members of the Alliance High Command were seated around the table.

Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan, watched her father out of the corner of her eye. Honestly, she was surprised that her father had asked her to come. If she was the object of focus for the woman, the senator from Naboo, then why was she being told with all of the others? Wasn't it a private matter?

"Greetings," Mon Mothma said coolly. The gentle murmurings died off instantly.

Leia straightened automatically in her chair.

"I assume that all of you, with the exception of the princess, know of Padmé Amidala."

Garm Bel Iblis stared at Mon icily. "What does a dead senator have to do with us?"

Leia wanted to roll her eyes and throw her head onto the table in exasperation. Couldn't the man exercise any self control? Or perhaps-

"Patience, Garm, please," Mon breathed. "You know that she helped us found the Alliance. Force, she was the spokesperson of our group!"

Bel Iblis looked away, a frown crossing his face.

Leia stared blankly at the old Senators, amazement rushing through her. She needed answers, and she needed them now.

"Who is this Padmé Amidala?"

She noticed the almost imperceptible stiffening of her father. What in the galaxy...?

"Padmé Amidala was probably the most influential senator in the Senate in the waning days of the Republic. She was strongly opposed to violence, and she helped found this operation."

That was Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Leia glanced at the Jedi. He wore what was probably considered traditional Jedi garb: the tunic, the pants, the cloak. His hair was close cropped, but he still had a beard.

She frowned. Luke's first master made her uneasy. Perhaps it was his tendency to brush her mind with the Force.

He fixed her with a steady look.

Or perhaps it was his seriousness.

No. She just didn't trust him.

Warily, she pushed the thought away and focused on Amidala.

"Oh. Is she back as well? Like Father?"

Mutely, her father and Mon nodded.

The three Jedi in the room started visibly.

"Senator Amidala is alive as well? How do you know?" the tall, dark-skinned human asked.

"Master Windu, I saw her with my own eyes. She came in and _slapped _me."

Carlist Rieekan gave a faint chuckle of disbelief. Everyone turned to look at him, and he instantly stopped.

"I knew Padmé Amidala personally as well. I cannot imagine what would provoke such a reaction from a pacifist."

Windu's constant frown deepened. "I concur. That does not sound like the Senator Amidala I knew."

Leia sighed inwardly, propping her head up on one of her arms on the table. Her father was lying about something. Something that he didn't want her to find out. Something that she already knew.

That woman was her mother. Her real mother. The knowledge terrified and thrilled her at the same time.

Why didn't her foster-father want her anywhere near her?

* * *

SOMETHING had taken Padmé back to this place. Back to the apartment. As she waited in the turbolift, she rocked back and forth on her heels. The Senatorial Complex hadn't changed much. But her apartment -

She stepped inside. Her old codes still checked out. Twenty-some years of dust bombarded her.

She wished it was just the dust doing the bombarding. Her memories were resurfacing, after years of repression.

"Anakin," she mumbled, knowing that she sounded completely idiotic.

Her steps in the dust were like footprints in the snow. Like in a trance, she walked forward to the bedroom.

Force, so much had happened in this room, in this apartment. Anakin, flirting for the first time. Anakin saving her life from evil worms. Kohuns.

Obi-Wan, jumping from the window. Obi-Wan reprimanding Anakin. Obi-Wan telling her the dreadful news.

She sank onto the bed, closing the shades. Dust floated up around her, but she ignored it.

_Force_, she was in such a fog. Her mind refused to work. It was working fine, until Bail refused to allow her to see her own _daughter_. Maybe it was a sense of loss. She'd lost Anakin, Leia, and Luke wouldn't be returning for a month.

"Padmé?"

She jumped about three feet in the air, somehow managing to turn at the same time. And then she almost fainted upon seeing the figure before her.

The figure of her husband. Without thinking, she leapt towards him. She hungrily pressed her lips to his. For a moment, he was too stunned to do anything, but then he responded with equal passion.

When she pulled away, she realised what she had done. This is not good, she thought.

"How did you know I was here?" she suddenly asked.

He looked surprised. "Well, you called out to me."

She stared at him. "I did nothing or the sorts."

He dragged his hand through his hair. She realised he was wearing a suspiciously tight shirt. It emphasised his muscles, and she was hit with a pang of longing-

She snapped herself out of it, waiting for his response.

"Yes, you did. Like ten minutes ago."

Ten minutes ago? She struggled to remember back that far. Well, she had whispered his name. Had she unconsciously used their old bond? With a leap of incredibly idiotic faith, she decided to trust him. Almost immediately, the throbbing in her head vanished.

"Besides," he continued, "you don't have the happiest of minds right now. I think a person blind to the Force could sense your agitation from over here. Weren't you going to the Rebellion?"

He didn't seem frustrated or insulted by the thought. It relieved her, and so she ventured, "I did. I spoke to Bail."

"Bail, as in _Organa_?"

She nodded curtly. "He's back too. He flatly refused to allow any type of visitation or contact with Leia. Luke's away on a mission."

His blue eyes darkened. "That's not right," he said. His voice, unlike his eyes, was soft, understanding.

Padmé took an unsteady step towards him. "I told him I would do whatever it takes to have her address me as her mother."

He lifted his brows. "So you'd do anything?"

"Anything," she confirmed, not a touch of doubt in her voice or mind.

A pause.

And then a thought struck her. She gasped aloud. The sheer impossibility of it...

"What's happening to the Empire?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes. "It's falling apart as we speak. A month and it will have collapsed. Nobody is strong enough to fill the post of emperor and empress."

She took a breath. "Except us."

His mouth dropped open. He stared at her in open astonishment. She reached over and tapped his chin. His mouth closed.

He sank onto the bed. "Padmé, that's what got us into this mess. Power."

She plopped down next to him. "I want my children. Leia, specifically, right now. Luke won't be here for a few months. He doesn't have a guardian, so he will be ours soon. But Leia-"

She fell silent.

Then she added, "We can restore the democracy, Anakin. Restore peace."

He clutched his head in his hands. "What of the rebellion? They will not believe your claims for peace. Especially now that Bail Organa is spreading lies."

That stopped her. "What?"

He let go of his head. "Someone besides Bail saw you, Padmé. How is he going to explain why you went to the Rebellion and left without joining? You were one of the primary founders!"

There was a long pause. Her heart thudded in her chest as he continued. "He'll say that Vader is controlling you. He'll tell everyone, even Leia."

She looked at him, heart hitting a new low. "I suppose we'll have to make sure that happens, hmm? If I play trophy wife and you play Vader-"

He gaped at her. "You, play trophy wife? Not possible. And I don't want to be inside that suit again."

She rose. "It's perfect, Anakin! Don't you see it? It would explain everything!"

Seeing he wouldn't be convinced, she took his face in her hands (he started) and murmured, "Do it for me?"

He looked at her.

"Okay."


	4. Grounded

BOREDOM was never fun. Boredom was yet another relocation of the Alliance. Nobody knew how the "mystery woman" managed to slip through their security... so they, the high command, decided to go into overkill mode and change _everything_, including location.

Leia stared at the screen in front of her._ Access denied_, it screamed in massive, black letters. Information on Senator Padmé Amidala was being denied with the highest level of security. Vader.

She gave an unprincesslike groan and slouched back in the stiff backed chair. _Vader, _she thought despairingly. _Nothing is denied by Vader when it comes to information. Not even the Jedi. It must be her. _Of course, she knew that the woman that had slapped her father - her _true_ father - was her mother. She simply felt it in her very being.

Then her _true_ father claimed to have absolutely no idea why the former senator was hell bent on destroying the Alliance. He flinched slightly when speaking her name, her title... and then he could barely hold his daughter's gaze.

So... he was hiding the not-so-obvious. And he didn't want her to know anything.

Why was all of the security being elevated to inhumane levels?

She was ready to kill to know something. Anything.

Then she remembered what had been said: "'Everyone here, with the exception of the princess, should know Senator Amidala'." Or at least something along those lines. Maybe Mon Mothma would know.

She reached for her comlink.

***

"LEIA, good evening. What can I do for you?" The auburn haired woman had a soft spot for her. Everyone in the base knew it - and were envious of it. Mon Mothma had one of the sharpest political tongues in the Senate, and was not the most lenient leader when it came to personal lives. She was strict, not unreasonable. Leia had looked up to her since she was fourteen.

And now it was time to play the soft spot.

"Good evening, Senator." She hesitated. "I was wondering what you could tell me about this mystery Senator."

Mon looked at her, a touch of firmness in her gaze. "It really is of no concern for you."

Leia's heart threatened to shatter. "But everyone else knows about her!" She inwardly winced at the weak argument.

Mon sighed and motioned for her to come forward.

The elder senator had a small, square office. A desk and chairs rested in the far corner; a light hung from the ceiling. Otherwise, it was bare.

Mon sat behind the desk, silently commanding Leia to in front of the desk. She complied.

The senator rummaged around in her drawers. Leia stared with growing anxiety and astonishment. Mon Mothma, disorganized? But then it became clear that the object for which she searched was carefully hidden.

"Ha," Mon said finally. She produced a holo and passed it to the princess.

Leia stared at it. It was a picture of three people - Mon on the left, her father on the right, and, in the middle, an (literally) achingly familiar woman. The middle woman couldn't have been older than twenty five; her father and Mon looked like they were in their late thirties, early forties.

"That is Senator Padmé Amidala of the Naboo, of the Chommel Sector. She was the very essence of democracy, Leia. She was one of the four founders of this Alliance; she urged Bail to wait to take action, to play a good little senator.

"She also had such influence... many who sided with her would wait for her opinion before casting their votes. If she changed her mind about something, hon, half the senate changed theirs as well.

"She was strong willed, determined, brave... Seven assassination attempts were made on her life in two months, and she would appear in session less than an hour after the attack.

"Simply put, Leia, she was amazing. When I first entered the senate, I looked up to her like one would a goddess."

Leia started. She couldn't see her mentor looking up to anyone, let alone worship them. She ignored that and asked the burning question. "What happened to her?"

Mon sighed and reclaimed the picture. Leia desperately watched the woman's face disappear from sight. She hadn't looked up at Mon the entire time she had been speaking.

"No one really knows, Your Highness. Palpatine said the Jedi killed her. It was a lie, of course. Padmé knew the Jedi very closely; they had been assigned as bodyguards after assassination attempts. I don't believe she lost touch with them. They wouldn't have betrayed her.

"The real question is about her child." Leia attempted a glance at her. Mon continued, "You see, she died pregnant. Nobody knew who the father was. Well, nobody but the ones sworn to secrecy." There was a solemn pause. "And when she died, so did democracy.

"Leia, we fear that Padmé will find a way into the position of empress. Nobody would join our cause with her in the way."

Leia rose, heart thudding in her chest. She barely managed to stop from screaming. "Thank you," she choked out, and left before the sudden information overload could claim her.

***

"What?!" she shrieked. "You want me to _what_?"

Bail Organa looked at her calmly. "You heard me, Leia. Smugglers do not court princesses. Get rid of him."

Leia stared at him. She desperately struggled to calm herself. If she couldn't keep a clear head, then she wouldn't gain a hand in this argument.

"But I love him," she whispered.

Bail shrugged. "He doesn't love you, Leia. He's a smuggler. He's in it for the money."

"No!" she protested. She was completely numb. Han did love her: he'd said it many, many times. How would she handle-?

"If he isn't in it for the money, he's in it for the sex," Bail snapped. "You don't know how men work. That's all he wants. Get. Rid. Of. Him."

Dead silence. Absolutely not, she thought. I love him. I love him, I love him.

"No," she said defiantly. "You're wrong."

Bail chuckled. "And you're grounded."

Leia gaped at him. It took her a moment to grasp the meaning of his statement. Then she choked out, "What?"

"Yes. _Grounded. _You are not to leave this planet. Or this town, for that matter." Then he paused. "Or when we get off this ship for refueling, you will stay on Naboo, in Theed, the capitol. Help convince the queen to join our cause."

Slowly, Leia backed away. He was practically exiling her. Sure, it was temporary, but ...

"But I'm part of the high command!" she choked out. It was her last card.

But he held the ace. "I will take your spot for a while, Leia." He rose and left the room, leaving his daughter staring numbly at her feet.  


* * *

PADMÉ entered the coordinates quickly. "We'll be at Naboo in less than three hours, Anakin," she murmured. "Then, from there, we can start our plan." She sighed wistfully, watching the stars leap past as they entered hyperspace.

"Then we can find our daughter," she clarified, voice barely above a whisper.


	5. Duty

**Chapter Four: Duty**

**Posted November 30**

PADMÉ watched her husband land the ship. He seemed to feel the heat of her gaze, for he turned.

"What's our plan?" he asked. He grinned, clearly remembering past discussions... about his inability to plan. Or, if there was a plan for some absurd reason, his inability to actually follow the plan.

Despite the situation and her current mood, she smiled as she remembered the discussions as well.

"Just let me do the talking. And pay attention. I might need you to say something."

"Didn't you just tell me to-"

"Quiet."

He faked a scowl and turned around, opening the hatch. They descended, making way to the palace.

A few moments later, he asked, "Padmé, what are we _doing_ here? Honestly, why did we even leave Coruscant if all the politician stuff is there?

Padmé frowned. It had seemed like a good idea at first, but now that she thought about it, Anakin was right. Of course, she'd never let him know that.

"I, uh... There isn't a monarch of Naboo. There is a council of Naboo type thing. They control Naboo. We introduce ourselves and then we take over. Easy. Then, using Naboo as the 'headquarters,' we shall then move onto the galaxy. You have Palpatine's will, right?"

Anakin numbly nodded, just staring at her. Then he blurted, "You want to what? Are you insane? What in the galaxy makes you think that they'll allow you to forcibly take over? And wait - since when do you use force?"

She turned, a light, easy smile on her face. "I'm not using force, per se, I just am presenting Palpatine's will to the council. They're figure heads, Ani, not actual rulers. Of course I wouldn't just go in and kick them out of a job, especially not if the people are being treated well."

Anakin relaxed. "Good."

* * *

LEIA was livid. Bail watched her from the doorway, a disapproving expression on his face. She didn't care.

She threw her things into a bag, not bothering to fold them.

When she managed to break an heirloom, he snapped.

Leia sensed it coming, and she turned away before the onslaught.

"Leia Organa! This is absolutely immature, puerile, pathetic, and unacceptable behavior!"

Crimson, she spat back, "It's a protest against the unfair treatment of, well, _me_! And you're being redundant. You'd think that as a senator you'd have a larger vocabulary. Or maybe the Republic wasn't was it was cut out to be! Maybe the Sith were right!!"

To be honest, she didn't care anymore. He'd threatened to disown her because she fell in love? Well, he could rot in a hole for all she cared. Now he was yelling, but she blocked him out. He rarely shouted, and it used to scare her beyond relief. But she had gone through war and Imperial interrogation. She wasn't scared.

"Are you even listening to me?" he roared, moments later. He had been half way through his lecture when he noticed her roll her eyes.

She found herself pressed against the wall, her father's face inches from hers.

"I said, Leia, that asking you to do your duty is not unfair treatment! Thousands before you have undergone this situation! Think of-"

"Think of who, Father! My people? They're dead! Blown up! Gone! I don't serve anyone but the Alliance, and they don't have a princess!"

The truth was shoved so blatantly into his face that he simply froze. She ducked under his arms and resumed chucking things into her bag.

By then, Bail thawed. "There are still some people alive, child!"

She stopped, forcing her mind through the red haze of anger. "Who? Tycho? I'll be a princess for one!" She restarted packing, then stopped again. Without a glance at Bail, she turned and stalked from the room. He followed, grabbing her arm. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"To talk to Han!" She tried to wrench her arm from her grasp.

"He's gone."

The two and a half words stopped her dead in her tracks. "What? Gone?"

He let her go. "Yes, gone. I asked him to leave yesterday night. He took it like a child, but yes, he's gone."

She couldn't even speak. Numbly, she allowed him to guide her to her room. She finished packing and was then escorted to the ship.

There, she promptly fell asleep. And, when she woke, she realized that she was indeed on a ship that was more than half way to Naboo. She cursed herself.

* * *

THE Nubians didn't seem to object to them taking over. In fact, Padmé and Anakin thought that it was a little too easy.

They sat in the throne room of the palace now, completely alone. She was on the chair; he was on the desk itself. Dust, disrupted for the first time in years, floated absently across the room.

"So we went in, and they were curious as to who were were. We told them - I was Padmé Naberrie, you were Vader - and they instantly dropped to the floor and bowed." Padmé leaned back and placed her five inch heels on the desk: it had been an activity that she had never been allowed to do as queen, even when she was out of costume.

Anakin confirmed her statement, then added his own thoughts. "Yeah. Then I told them that we were here to resume our position as emperor and empress. They asked for the will; you gave it to them. Then they asked for the official papers; we gave those to them too, and we signed them. One of Palpatine's moff things was there, so it made the signing legal...They gave us the keys to the palace, instantly contacted the media... and tomorrow the galaxy will know we're in charge."

"It's too easy. Far too easy."

Anakin shook his head. "No, now I realize why you wanted to come here. We will have secured our positions without having to go through the moffs and admirals and the aides on Coruscant. It's tomorrow that we're going to have to hide from the complaints."

He rolled his shoulders back. "We cannot allow anyone to breach the planet. I suggest a blockade."

She lurched to her feet. "Absolutely not! Do you know what that would do to my people?"

He shook his head. "Love, I was thinking of that. Naboo doesn't have any kind of army. Instead of destroying the peace here, we build a militia in space."

She wasn't convinced. "Why do we need an army, Anakin Skywalker?"

"Padmé, what if the moffs and admirals try to kill us? Do you think they're going to destroy us with private assassins or with bombs?"

She didn't reply, the weight of her job suddenly hitting her shoulders. It was a familiar job, the protection of the people of Naboo, and she bore the load with practised ease.

"What if we went back to Coruscant?"

"Then we wouldn't need a blockade, of course."

There was a long pause as she considered. Suddenly Anakin lurched to his feet.

"It's not possible."

Padmé, who currently sat with her head in her hands, mumbled, "What isn't?"

"Padmé, love, we're staying here."

Her head snapped up. "I though that I was-"

"Leia's going to be here in twenty minutes. Her ship's cruising around just inside the atmosphere."

"Here? Where's here?"

"They're taking her to Dee'ja Peak. Where on Naboo is _that_?"

Padmé spun the throne, looking out the window behind her desk. "There. The Gallo Mountains. Dee'ja Peak is on one of the summits. If you look hard enough, you can see the lights at night." She paused. "Where is she staying? It's about a twenty minute ride if we take your speeder."

"I think we should establish ourselves first. She's coming to the capitol soon. We'll just wait for her to come."

"No! I need to see her _now_!"

"Padmé! She'll be here for at least six months. Please, just trust me on this. The security will be strongest at her arrival. They will not expect us to wait for her. We can monitor her house. If we watch her, then the Alliance won't know that she's with us."

Padmé sagged. "Yes... you're right. But Anakin - promise me. One month. Max."

He nodded. "Okay, okay. Less than a month."


	6. Flow

LEIA didn't even look at the planet that would be her prison.

The ship settled down at the apartment's private landing pad with a quiet thud.

"Thank you, Captain Res," she said emotionlessly. Yes, Res, thank you for dropping me off on this Force forsaken planet. Thank you for being the one who locked the door to the prison.

The captain stared at her for a long moment. She widened her eyes. She'd said her previous thoughts silently, hadn't she?

"It's nothing, Your Highness. I'll help you settle in and get the security set up. Then I'll see you in six months," he mumbled.

_Six months?! _Leia swallowed. "Six months?" she repeated. "And what am I supposed to do for six months! My father knows that this planet's Queen is a figurehead!"

Her voice was freaking the captain out; it brought her a sadistic pleasure.

Another thought bothered her: Bail Organa couldn't even see his own daughter off to some foreign planet? Maybe that was why she enjoyed tormenting the innocent captain. Her father's job had been thrust upon him, and so she dealt with him in hopes that he would report her childish behavior.

"I-I'm not sure, Your Highness," stammered the unfortunate Captain. "I'm only following orders."

Leia considered ordering him to take her back. It wasn't worth it. If anything, Bail would only send her away again. Or they would get into an even worse fight.

Deflating, she muttered, "Just take my things inside. I know how the security works; I'll set it up."

Captain Res, looking relieved, half ran to get her belongings.

She pushed the button that opened the hatch and stepped outside.

A rush of cool night air greeted her, along with the thundering roar of ... something.

Forgetting her anger, she turned to the roar.

A waterfall. As she took steps closer, the mist sprayed her face. An aroma of fresh water and flowers wafted to her nose.

She looked up. It was pitch black, but she could see the snow capped mountains.

Her father had grounded her to a planet like Alderaan.

She spun to look at the apartment. It was now bright enough for her to see; The architecture was unfamiliar, all stone and curving. Pastel roofs and paints were strongly contrasting to her sleek and angular, blue and silver Alderaan.

"Where are we?" she asked herself. She was surprised when Res answered her.

"Ah, we're in Dee'ja Peak, Princess. Naboo sure is a beautiful place. The capitol is that right through those two peaks."

She glanced to where he was pointing. Sure enough, a bright light was shining through the cloudy peaks.

"How far away is it?" she questioned. She was absolutely mesmerised. Something, some unspoken force was calling to her. She _needed_ to go to the capitol. "What's it called?"

"Oh, Theed? About twenty minutes by speeder. Why?"

"Just curious," she answered, still staring. She had recognised the pull as something deeper than simple curiosity.

Spinning, she turned her back on the lights of the city.

* * *

_The Next Morning_

PADMÉ sighed. The press was having a field day. She looked at the ten magazines on her desk. Three of them had been flipped open to the main article. The one on top covered the words of the others, and she couldn't help but read the first sentences again:

_In a shocking turn of events, Lord Vader has stepped forward and claimed the throne. But this time, there's a new hitch: he has a wife. _

It makes women sound like they're only a hassle in this new galaxy, she thought, clearly angry.

She kicked the desk in a fit of childishness. A few magazines slid onto the floor, revealing an picture of Anakin and herself. They both were in costume.

Padmé shuddered. Her costume consisted of a black dress, close fitting at the top and graceful and flowing at the bottom. Her shoes (not that one could see them, as they were covered by the dress) were evil looking five inch heels that had given her feet blisters by just looking at them. She wore a black wig made from real hair.

She didn't want anyone recognising her instantly, so she had taken powder and literally coated herself in it. The end result was a Padmé with a skin color that was a deep brown.

Vader, however, was, well, Vader. The suit had almost given her a self imposed heart attack. The mechanical voice had forced her to sit down.

There was a gentle prodding at the back of her mind: Anakin, reaching for her through their bond.

_I'm bringing in an Admiral that has served under me - Vader, actually - since Hoth. He's a good man. I think we can trust him, but I want you to meet him. _

Touched, Padmé agreed to meet him in the throne room.

A few minutes later, Anakin appeared with a man that appeared to be in his late thirties.

Anakin bent and kissed her. Padmé returned the favor, ignoring the fact that the Admiral's eyes were popping out of his head.

After a moment, they broke apart.

Anakin shuffled, then said awkwardly, "Piett, this is my wife, Padmé. Padmé, this is Admiral Firmus Piett."

Padmé extended a hand, curious as to what the Admiral would do with it. He was supposed to kiss it, but would he kiss it with the terrifying "Vader" right next to him?

To her surprise, he did, albeit briefly. And then her dropped her hand like it was shocking him.

She barely hid her amusement as he elegantly stumbled through a proper greeting. "It's a pleasure, Lady Vader."

She stiffened. Of course she was Lady Vader now.

She struggled through the shock and mumbled, "Pleased to meet you too, Admiral."

* * *

AN: I hope nobody's confused so far. Thanks to kind reviewers and readers.

Also thanks to wookieepedia.


	7. Pull

**December 26**

LEIA innocently munched on her breakfast.

A week had passed, and she'd finally gotten settled in. While her father had "banished" her, he obviously had wanted her to be comfortable. Her apartment had two large bedrooms, a large kitchen, a dining room, and three refreshers. A large balcony looked over the roaring waterfall.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been so relaxed. She could watch holovids, read, jump on the bed, rearrange the furniture... Hell, she could even jump off a cliff if she wanted to.

And she was bored to death. She wanted to leave her golden cage so badly that she was ready to start sobbing -- not that she, a princess would ever do such a thing. She had nothing to _do_. And leaving the cage was out of the question. She had quite a price on her head, even though the emperor was dead.

Ever since she was nineteen, she'd always had something to keep her occupied. And one didn't break five years of habit very easily.

She'd already tried to get onto Alliance reports, but her security clearance hed been denied. _Thank you, Father._

With a massive sigh, she leaned back in the chair, putting her feet on the table.

_Ha ha_, she thought without amusement. She had never, ever been allowed to put her feet on the table, much less walk around without socks or slippers.

She grabbed the remote from the table, deciding to watch some kind of soap opera. Then she winced. Was the loss of her boyfriend pushing her into the world of mushy, romantic... _stuff_?

She took another bite of her meal, casually flipping through the channels- and froze.

Darth Vader. Was on the screen.

He stood at a dark podium on a stage, surrounded by thousands of people. The volume was off; Leia quickly turned it up.

A reporter with dark, wavy hair and annoyingly large teeth filled the screen. His mouth was moving and the sound blaring, but she didn't hear a single word.

The mere sight of Vader sent a wave of residual emotion flew through her: fear, shock, horror. Agony. Suffering pains... Bottom line, not happy emotions.

Her mind finally pushed away the haze of feelings, and she tried to listen to the reporter. Unfortunately, the report was being broadcasted in Nubian. Franticly, she toggled the buttons on the clicker.

Finally! She read the words that appeared on the bottom on the screen. With each letter, she could feel the blood leave her face.

_"... has not only taken the throne, but a wife as well! The new Lady Vader will be seen by the public for the first time in mere minutes. And now we turn to our emperor."_

The reporter turned expectantly to the massive Dark Lord of the Sith, an obviously fake smile plastered to his face. He nearly had a heart attack, it seemed, when Vader turned to look at him.

And then Darth Vader was gesturing at something behind him. A hush fell over the crowd. And then a tall woman appeared out of nowhere. She wore all black, the colour of her tight fitting dress the same as her elegantly shaped coiffure. Her skin was the colour of rich, undiluted caf.

It was her face that shocked Leia the most. It was achingly familiar -- Literally so.

And then the Lady Vader looked at the camera so that her deep, chocolate brown eyes "met" hers.

It was like getting shot. Leia actually gasped aloud. The _pull_ she felt towards this woman - she lurched to her feet. She just needed to talk to her. Just for five minutes. Just meet her. Who cared if she was Darth Vader's wife? She was a princess; all royalty was somehow related. She could talk to the empress.

It was like she was suffocating and upon reaching this woman, she would be able to breath clean, fresh ar. The pull was almost physical... like someone had wrapped a rope around her neck and gave the rope a firm yank.

She forced herself to think clearly. _I need to turn it off_, she thought numbly. Easier thought than done.

Breathing heavily, she pushed the button. The pull vanished with the picture.

Or so she thought.

There was a nagging curiosity about the _incident_ that remained.

And her head ached. It ached the way it had after the second Ord Mantell incident. Luke had dismissed it as the Force trying to send her a message. A message she had been too stubborn to open.

If it was the Force, then why did it want her near the Empress?

As always, she ignored the sensation.

* * *

PADMÉ brushed her hair slowly. She stood in the bathroom... a bathroom easily the size of her old bedroom on Coruscant. It had everything, from sink to sauna.

She had everything she had ever wanted. She lived in a drop-dead gorgeous palace on her homeplanet, she had a loving husband... and she was the empress. She would restore the peace.

She had everything. Except her children. And one of them was less than 160 kilometers away.

Leia. Leia _Organa_. Padmé scowled at the last name, a bitter torrent of jealousy ripping through her. Bail had raised her daughter. Bail had done an excellent job, she conceded, but her influence was needed now.

And she didn't mean in three weeks now. She meant _now _now.

"Anakin?" she called after a minute.

He appeared, leaning in the doorway.

"Padmé? What's wrong?"

"I want to go and get Leia. Now," she said calmly, daring him to argue. He, unsurprisingly, took the dare.

"You have to understand that she'll never come to you willingly. Not if she knows that you're the empress. Not if she knows that you're with me."

"But I'm her mother!" she protested. "She has to be at least a little curious!"

"Yes, but she already has another woman in that position of her life. Granted, she's gone, but Leia still considers her her mother," he answered.

She stared at him, stung. He realised his error moments later.

He said awkwardly, "I think it'd better if you became really close friends, and you just happened to be her mother. It would put less pressure on her."

Feeling her ire rise, she snapped, "You cannot even think to tell me that I shouldn't claim her as my own! She is my daughter. Yours too."

"No, you misunderstood. Don't have her replace Breha with you. Allow her the choice of who her mother and father are."

She knew he was struggling for words. She knew what he meant.

Curious, she stared at him under her lashes. When had he become so mature? So serious? It was almost like role reversal: she usually was giving him the advice.

But he ruined the moment seconds later.

Quite calmly, he suggested that they grab Leia and tie her to a wall until she changed her mind.

As a second thought, he added, "She'd be there a long time."

Padmé threw her brush at him.

"I want to go to Dee'ja Peak tonight. We need to know where she lives, how often she leaves the house, what name she's using, her neighbors' names..."

"Padmé, you're turning into a stalker."

"What!" she protested. "I am not!"

"Have you heard yourself? Honestly..."

Padmé glared, retrieving her brush from the floor.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I already know all of that. We just need to go."

"Tonight?"

"Tonight."  


* * *

I should have the next chapter up soon. Happy holidays!


	8. Trap!

_AN: Many thanks to the reviews. I'd like to address some of the questions..._ Firstly_, the question of Han. It is true, I made it seem like he just said whatever and walked away because Bail told him to. Well, he has a better reason than that to leave. He will appear in a few chapters, with Leia, and all will be revealed then. _Secondly_, the whole legal custody thing. Yes, technically, Leia is an adult, but she is still heir to the Alderaanian throne. If Padmé were to take "legal custody,"she would be pretty much taking Leia away from the throne. Leia could decide to go back, but she would be entering an arranged marriage for people that no longer exist. (No offense to the Alderaanians, but seriously!) _Thirdly_, Padmé hasn't exactly encouraged Anakin to become Darth Vader per se, just take on the appearance. So he's still all Light and good and all that merry stuff. They do, actually, wish to return to democracy, and to a senate. It is easier if they have control and then, ah, ease the ideas onto the other members of the galaxy. How that will happen, I have no idea, but it _will_ happen. _Fourthly, _Bail Organa. He does seem rather tyrannical, doesn't he? It's just that he's being over-protective of Leia. He knows that "Vader" is back, and he doesn't want Padmé delivering her into a Sith Lord's hands. He still isn't entirely sure about Vader's intentions, so he tries to keep Leia away in hopes that she doesn't become a Sith as well. By grounding, I meant protection, and that was how he managed to convince the other leaders to send her away for a while. _

_Hopefully, I cleared up most things, but if you still don't get something, review or something. Questions are appreciated too._

_Does that sound pathetically school-like to you guys? Hmm? Anywho, enjoy!  


* * *

_

LEIA jerked upright in the bed, cold tears dripping down her face. Gods, she could feel something. Something was happening, something big.

She clutched her head desperately. The pull had become a small, almost constant headache after that day. Nothing could cure the tingling, so she simply ignored it. She was strong enough. But with each passing moment, the pull grew.

She forced herself out of the bed and trudged downstairs. A glance at the chrono told her that it was three hours past midnight.

She poured herself a glass of milk, ignoring the trembling in her hands. Settling down at the table, she took a sip of the cool liquid and then rested her head in her hands. Stray tendrils of hair slipped through her fingers, and with a sigh, she pushed them back.

She stayed like that for ten minutes, just staring at the smooth surface of the table. Finally, she glanced toward Theed. For another ten minutes, she stared at the small dot of light in the distance. Leia blinked. She didn't "sense" danger coming from the town. Why not go, just for a day trip?

She knew real reason she wanted to leave: the pull was getting closer, and she wanted to be as far away as possible.

And then she froze, unconsciously sensing danger. Someone knocked on her door seconds later.

She reached for her blaster, feeling its reassuring weight in her hand. Then she made her way to the door, fighting back her terror. Who would dare to knock on the door at three in the morning?

She glanced through the peep-hole and received a shock.

* * *

"JUST the three of us, Anakin. I don't want it to look like we're there to kill her or drag her before... the emperor," Padmé said slowly.

"Three?" the ex-Sith asked. "And wouldn't that be easier?"

She failed to miss the sarcasm in the last sentence. "No, and it would severely damage our chance of her trusting us. And yes, three. Wrenga Jixton is coming. He's waiting in the throne room."

"Jix?! When did you meet him? And he's here?"

"The last time he was visiting, of course." She turned, trying to mask her nervousness behind her quick sentences. "And yes, he's here."

Anakin tried to protest, but was unable to come up with a good reason to suddenly become Anti-Jix.

There was a long pause.

Padmé paced, unable to hide her nervousness. This was her child, her only daughter. What if she got hurt? What if she refused to see what Padmé was saying? What if she hated her birth mother? What if she would rather die than live with her?

Anakin stared at his hands, sitting numbly on the king sized bed. He thought, she'll never forgive me. My daughter, tortured. Her boyfriend, tortured and frozen in carbonite. Alderaan. Her brother. Bail --

A loud, obnoxious knock came from the door.

"Uncle D!" a deep, masculine voice called.

The door opened before Anakin had a chance to even think of opening his mouth.

Wrenga Jixton casually strolled in.

"Hey," he said cheerily. "Shall we go?"

***

PADMÉ quietly stepped out of the speeder. Her stomach felt as though something, a nexu perhaps, was clawing to get out. Any slightly stupid statement, any joke made to alleviate the tension, and she would promptly chew their heads off.

Anakin and Jix (who had yet to find a way to stop Padmé from calling him Wrenga) wisely stayed silent.

They walked silently through the dark streets, trying to stay away from people.

And then they arrived. It was three in the morning.

Anakin prepared to step into the light -- and froze.

* * *

LEIA opened the door, unable to hide her surprise.

"Master Kenobi!"

The Jedi stood there, a sheepish expression on his face. "I apologise for barging in on you like this, Your Highness. But it seems your father regrets his, quote, "childish" actions. He wishes to speak with you, but he wants to do it face to face. When can you return to him?"

Her first thought was, I'm doing well, how about you? Her second was delight that her father had realised he was being nerf-headed. Her answer was, of course, now.

But that wasn't what she said. She said, "Tomorrow I was going to visit Theed. I hear that it is an opportunity that I cannot miss. So, tomorrow afternoon. Is that okay?"

Hadn't she wanted to get away from the pull? Why not leave?

She hastily tried to rationalise. Aloud.

"It is just that this planet reminds me a lot of Alderaan. I just wanted to leave of my own accord." The statement, she realised as she spoke, was true.

Kenobi's eyes, which had narrowed, softened.

"I understand, Princess Leia. Tomorrow afternoon, then?"

Leia nodded, and proceeded to show him to his room.

* * *

"OBI-WAN!" Anakin hissed, making sure his shields were extra tight. Padmé clutched his arm.

"What?"

"He just went inside the house!"

She said nothing, just stared brokenly at the apartment.

Jix sighed. "D'you want me to go and grab her?"

"Yes." There was absolutely no hesitation in Padmé's voice, and both Anakin and Jixton stared at her in shock.

Padmé pointed, almost franticly, at the apartment. "I am not letting him take _my_ daughter away from right under my nose. Go get her, Wrenga!"

Anakin pulled Padmé close. "Love, we have to wait until Obi-Wan at least goes to sleep. Then you, Jix, and I will go get her."

She sighed, nodding against his chest.

***

"JIX. Let's go."

"Alrighty, Uncle D."

Anakin glared, but Jixton didn't bother to notice.

Padmé pulled away from Anakin, checking her blaster, practically quivering in suppressed tension.

Anakin mumbled, "She's drinking something. We can knock her out. Go, Jix, quickly. Before she comes down."

Jix vanished through the front door.

"Soon, my love," Anakin promised.

* * *

LEIA padded downstairs, her headache now somewhat subsided. She grasped the cup, drinking the liquid quickly. She turned to the sink, grimacing at the bitter taste. Apparently the water still had that tang --

But this wasn't water. She put it in the sink, spinning. She could reach the Jedi in time to-

Two men sat calmly at the table, a woman behind them, a hand on the back of each chair.

She recognised the woman instantly. Her mother. She stared, forgetting her fear.

Then the blond man stood. He was tall, tall as Vader, with the same silent aura of authority.

"Good to see you again, Princess," he said softly. She backstepped, quickly.

He glanced at the man beside him.

"She'll pass out before she hits the stairs."

The man stood, but Leia was too busy focusing on the words the other man had just said. Pass out?

Too late, she noticed the edges of her vision curl inwards. Her limbs grew heavy, and each step grew more and more uncoordinated.

"No," she protested in vain. Her voice was barely a whisper. "No."

Then, she collapsed into a limp heap, unable to stay conscious.


	9. Plans

**February 21**

**AN: **Hi. I am really, really sorry about the delay, but Darth Real Life has caught up to me in the form of _Pride and Prejudice_. Wonderful book - until an English teacher/professor gets hold of it and becomes creative. Anywho, without further delay... Chapter 8!

* * *

**General Obi-Wan Kenobi **was in a most un-Jedi-like state. Panic.

He had woken up, and he had absently reached for the Princess through the Force. And gotten nothing.

He'd lurched to his feet, checking each room. When he reached the kitchen, he felt the barest traces of a single man, one unfamiliar to him.

And then Master Kenobi had remembered that the house had security cameras. He'd bolted for the security room.

That was where he was now, watching and trying to understand the event before him for what felt like the thousandth time:

_Princess Leia walks into the kitchen, grabbing a cup from the table. She takes a long sip. She pauses, horror crossing her face. She spins, dropping the cup. A man - burly, black haired - sits there, watching with a curious expression. _

_Realisation and horrified recognition dawn on the Princess's face. _

_The man says, "She'll pass out before she hits the stairs." _

_The princess protests. Stumbles back. Collapses. _

_The man gets up after she falls. Goes to her. Gets her pulse. Touches the girl's arms - and she disappears. _

_The man looks directly at the camera. And he vanishes from sight as well. _

Obi-Wan fingered his beard, bewildered. Time was running out, though, and he had to contact the other masters.

He reached for his comlink.

* * *

Bail Organa glared at the infernal device that kept beeping in his ear. Sleep was not something that he got a lot of, and this thing was not exactly helping.

He groped for the little machine and managed to read the ID. Instantly, he was awake.

He hit the answer button. "Master Kenobi?"

The Jedi's clipped accent was more noticeable than usual. "Senator. Is the princess with you?"

Bail froze, heart sinking. "No. She's still on Naboo. Why?"

Master Kenobi quietly told him what he had already known since the beginning of the call. "I'm afraid the Empire has her."

Prince Organa franticly kicked his mind into gear. "How? How do you know she isn't out?"

"The security holograms. She was drugged. Let me send them to you-"

"Send them to the main room. I'll get the others."

"Understood. I'll keep an eye out for her."

Bail nodded and closed the connection.

His head fell to his hands, but he refused to cry. If he started, he wouldn't be able to stop.

He clutched the comlink and called for an emergency meeting of the High Command.

* * *

Thirteen minutes later, the members of the High Command assembled in their "office."

Bail stood.

But before he could speak, Master Yoda intervened. "About your daughter, this is."

The room visibly stiffened.

Wordlessly, Bail played the security tapes.

Whispers and frantic, fleeting glances were exchanged.

"So the Empire has her," Mon Mothma whispered. She ran her hand through her short auburn hair in a rare gesture of discomfort.

There was no doubt as to whom she meant when she said "empire." Everyone had seen their former friend's tragic fall to the Empire.

Grief became tangible as the shock of this incident settled.

"I do not believe that," Admiral Ackbar said after a moment.

Garm Bel Iblis turned to look at him, questions written all over his face.

"If Amidala wanted Leia, she would have gone personally. Or at least she would have been outside. Somewhere near. The sen- The empress wasn't one for waiting, even though she was a politician."

Silence. The Jedi and Senators alike registered and considered his point of view.

Then more input from another Jedi. "What makes you think she's still on Naboo? If she was smart, she'd go directly to Coruscant. We can't reach her there. At least not without difficulty."

More silence.

"Contact Master Kenobi. Have him check all ship logs and imperial movements on and around Naboo."

* * *

Leia was floating. Everything was peaceful, quiet. White and fluffy.

And then she heard voices. She recognised them both.

The first was a deep baritone, accompanied by harsh, mechanical breathing. Vader. Her ... she couldn't even finish the thought.

The second was a female. The voice was soft, warm. Fuzzy. Her supposed birth-mother's voice was hard to classify as "evil" or "enemy." Her name was ... Padmé? Amidala?

But she still managed.

She closed her mind in horror, peace forgotten. But despite her attempts to slip back to the void, slowly, she regained the tiniest bit of consciousness. Enough to hear and register what the people were saying. She didn't have the energy to rebuff, to speak back, to open her eyes. Moving was out of the question.

"...keeping her under?" Amidala asked, her voice soft.

"It's been a day. I want her under for at least four," Vader's baritone answered.

"Why?" The woman's voice was getting rather frustrated and concerned.

"Do you want Obi-Wan to sense her? He'll stay here for a while, then return to the Alliance."

"I suppose you're right," she answered reluctantly. "But you're to wake her the moment he leaves."

Unconsciousness claimed her.

***

Something soft caressed her face.

Leia opened her ears, listening.

Amidala again. But she wasn't speaking to Vader or anybody else. She was humming what was obviously a lullaby. Very, very quietly. Almost as though she didn't want Leia to hear.

Leia couldn't help but listen though. It sounded similar to what her _real_ parents used to hum to her, back when she was a youngling.

An then a man's voice sounded through the room. It was unfamiliar, but warm, amused.

"Padmé, she isn't two. Stop."

Padmé gave a soft chuckle. "It isn't like she'll let me do this when she's conscious. Let a mother attempt to catch up on the _twenty-four years_ that she lost with her children."

The man sighed. "Right. I have to go sign some things. You staying here?"

Padmé must have nodded; she remained, and her hand shook slightly.

Leia didn't have the strength to push it away.


	10. Awakening

**AN: **Sorry about the delay. Major writers' block, and I just couldn't get this chapter right.

* * *

Leia's eyes snapped open, her body rigid in the bed.

For the first time in days, her mind was clear.

She took one look around and instantly wished that she was still drugged.

The room she was in was drop dead gorgeous. It did not, however, scream ridiculous wealth into her ear, as she had expected. Rather, it subtly whispered the fact, just loud enough for her to hear with ease.

Her new cage was shaped, in essence, like a gigantic "D." One wall was a line, the rest were curved. Closer inspection revealed that half of the curved part was a floor to ceiling window. It was obscured by thick, light brown curtains. The other half was solid wall. It was slightly closed off, and the floor was elevated slightly, as if it were a stage. Bottom line, it allowed for privacy. Her bed was nestled into the corner of the secluded area. A few sofas and chairs and such were scattered in the main room. The floor was a tan marble.

She felt sick. The places she had been living in had made her uncomfortable with such finery. She shifted, testing each of her muscles. Luckily, it allowed her to focus on something other than her surroundings.

"Are you alright?"

Leia almost had a heart attack on the spot. She jerked, rolling to the side to face the speaker.

Amidala. She was standing by the foot of the bed, pale-skinned, soft brown eyes watching her every movement.

She forced herself to be calm, and she fixed the woman with a vicious glare. But it was the first time, in truth, that she'd actually been able to look her in the face. Something deep inside her seemed to click as she stared. Recognition, she supposed. She'd had memories of her mother since she was a child. Luke had asked her about them a while ago, but she hadn't been able to say anything but "she was beautiful... but sad."

Now, Padmé Amidala looked just as beautiful as she somehow remembered, but she was anything but sad.

"Sorry," the former senator said softly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Leia blinked, and she could feel her glare starting to trickle down in intensity. Her voice was soft, sweet -- nothing like the cold and clipped tones she'd heard when the empress and her father were discussing her fate.

So she said nothing, just continued glaring. She didn't trust herself enough to speak just yet, and she didn't know how this woman would respond to any kind of remark. She had been a senator once...

"Well, then," Amidala said, her gaze not leaving Leia's face for an instant. "I know you heard the discussion between your father and myself. You were in the air vents."

Barely did Leia manage to hide her surprise. How did she know that?

But Amidala ignored her expression and plunged forward. "So, you know who I am. Blood wise." She swallowed, watching for her daughter's reaction.

"Blood has nothing to do with family," Leia said flatly. "Not in my case. Go away." She rolled onto her back.

She felt a wave of pain in her subconsciousness. She ignored Amidala's grief and began to study the ceiling.

"I don't want to take the place of Breha Organa, Leia." Her name was said almost reverently. "I just want you to know that I'm not some blood-thirsty sadist who cares nothing about the people."

"Hmm" was Leia's response. "You're married to the galaxy's biggest terrorist. Why would I draw such conclusions?"

"He's changed, princess," Amidala answered, a frown marring her features.

"You can delude yourself into thinking that!"

"Do you like your room?"

Leia stopped dead in her mental tracks at the abrupt change of topic. She rolled back over to face her. "Don't want to face the facts, empress?"

"It's pointless arguing over such a thing. You may think what you like until you get to know him better."

A thrill of fear jolted through her system. Know him better? She was perfectly content with never, ever seeing Darth Vader again. But she made it sound like...

"I like the room," she answered weakly.

"I'm glad." A pause.

Leia threw the covers off of her, unable to be in such a helpless position while discussing things with her enemy.

And then Leia's situation hit her in the head. Hard. She swallowed, trying not to panic. "I want to know what's going on," she said. She noted with relief that her voice was suitably icy.

"Please, Leia, drop the fangs. Now get off of bed. I'll show you around here, and you can ask me as many questions as you like," Padmé said, firmly.

A reasonable request, Leia figured. There weren't any visible blasters around. She would comply with everything but "dropping the fangs." So she narrowed her eyes, and she rose gracelessly to her feet.

"Where are we?" she demanded, not wanting to be shortchanged for an instant. Her head began to spin, just slightly.

"Theed. In the palace. We've been here the entire time. We, meaning Anakin and myself."

Leia's jaw tightened at the name Anakin, but she plowed on. "How long have I been out?"

"A standard week. I-" Amidala's frown grew "-kept you under for a while. You looked like you needed the sleep. And it made it more difficult for the Jedi to find you."

An honest answer. She remembered that the empress had wanted to wake her up, but then it had been protested against. And she had needed the sleep. Not that she would ever admit that.

"What happened to Master Kenobi? Should I assume he was hacked into pieces again?" A little guilt managed to worm its way to her. She hadn't -- and wouldn't have -- thought of the Jedi unless he had been mentioned.

"Undoubtedly he's already contacted your father. And, knowing Bail, he would have ordered Obi-Wan to stay here and check some kind of logs. And no, he's still in one piece. If he looses any body part, the reason will not be Anakin or myself."

Leia nodded absently, entirely focused on her rapidly diminishing strength. Her muscles were shaking with the effort of holding her up, and her head throbbed.

Amidala frowned, looking at her with unhidden concern. She reached behind her and pulled a cup seemingly out of thin air.

"Drink this." The cup was shoved into her hands. Leia looked at it suspiciously, but her better judgement told her that it was safe. She took a small, very small sip. Her strength instantly flooded back to her; the headache vanished as well. She took another sip.

"Thank you," she murmured without thinking. Then she berated herself. Politeness to an imperial? What next?

But Padmé thought nothing of it; she waved a hand dismissively.

The empress guided her out of bed area to an intricately carved wooden door.

Leia stared at it for a minute, then pushed it open.

And froze in horror.

Before her was a closet the size of a small bedroom. Rows and rows of elaborate gowns rested on hangars, waiting to be used.

She would rather be frozen in carbon freeze than have to wear anything like this.

And then she realised something. She turned to Padmé. "Where did these come from?"

The empress smiled softly, and walked forward. "They're not from me. Relax."

"Look, Your Majesty, I have something against dresses. At least for casual wear," she snapped. She should have known that this would happen. She should have known the second she set eyes on the several thousand dollar gown Amidala wore.

"Yes. Anakin did say that. But while you're here, you might as well look nice. Not a dress, per se, but something elegant?" She pointed at the far wall.

Leia looked. Shirts and pants. Excellent. She padded forward, carelessly ripping a matching outfit from the wall.

"I'll be outside," Amidala said calmly, and there was a tiny click as the door slid shut.

Leia swapped her clothes, throwing the others into a heap on the floor.

That was when she saw it. A silver point sticking out from beneath the garb on the ground. She reached for it.

A blaster. It was sleek and silver, with tons and tons of scratches on it. But it still had a charge. She fingered it before placing it in her sleeve.

"What next?" she asked Amidala flatly as she left the closet.

"Ah, the window. I think you should see the sunrise."

"Why are you up so early?"

Padmé shrugged, replying, "I don't need as much sleep as I did before I died."

The blatant statement jolted Leia's mind. If she had already died, then would she be able to kill her? Would she die?

The princess of Alderaan decided it was worth a shot.

Pun intended.

Amidala pulled the curtains away from the window. Leia couldn't help but gasp. It was gorgeous, the waterfall and the river and the plain. The sun rose slightly above the mountains in the distance, casting a pale, watery light on the green planet.

Padmé walked forward, placing her hands on the plexiglass and pushing. The windows swung open, and the empress stepped onto the stone balcony, leaning against the baulestrade.

Leia turned the blaster into "kill" mode, slipping it out of her sleeve to--

"Are you going to shoot me, Leia?"

She froze. How had she known? The empress hadn't moved from her perch on the balcony.

"If you do, what will you do with me once I'm dead? What will happen once I'm dead? Do you think Anakin would just sit still and let you go free? How would you get out of this palace?

"And the Alliance. Anakin would take out his greif on them. Do you want to be responsible for their deaths?"

Leia swallowed, shifting her grip on the blaster. "Vader took everything from me! My parents, my people, my _planet_! He could use some grief in his life!"

"Leia. What would Bail say about revenge? Would killing me discrace the memory of your people?"

She took a step back. Dead on.

And then the empress of the galaxy said a few more words. "Would you really kill your own mother?"

Finally, finally, Amidala turned to her. "I carried you, and your brother. I gave birth to you. I died for you. I never got to see you take your first steps, never got to see you speak your first words. I was never there. Do you know what I would _give_ to..." She locked eyes with her. "I just want to know you. I don't want to be called mother. I just want to know what you're like. How can you deny a mother those rights?"

Leia just stared at her numbly, feeling her resolve crack and then shatter. The blaster slipped from her hands, landing on the floor with a dull crash.

"I-I-" She just couldn't get the words out.

Of course, it would have helped if she'd known what to say.


	11. Questioning Ideals

**AN: **Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers! The comments you guys make don't go unnoticed. Kudos to _Hewhoreaps_... the first line in this chapter was decided by what was put in the review. Thanks.

Also, I've decided that, after looking at the length of one of my chapters, they should be longer. I usually stop at around one thousand words, but that's only a page in the Pages application. So, I've decided to double the amount to around two thousand words.

Enjoy!

* * *

Padmé bent over and picked up the blaster, sliding it into the holster in her sleeve. She almost amusedly noticed Leia's stunned countenance and posture. "I apologise if I've overstepped, Princess. But Anakin informed me you were particularly stubborn about acknowledging hints and such about your true lineage, so a figurative punch in the face seemed the best approach."

Leia quickly gathered the scattered pieces of her resolve. "What else has he told you about me?" she snapped. "And what has he told you about Luke? Has Vader told you what he's done to his own children? He tortured me on the Death Star, attempting to wrench information from my mind. Chased me through an asteroid field. Killed my people, both from the Alliance and of Alderaan. Sliced off Luke's hand. Beat him, in essence, and tried to turn him to the Dark side! Put my boyfriend in Carbon freeze!"

Padmé stared at her impassively. She shifted slightly as each point was addressed, and Leia could unconsciously sense her guilt and frustration and sorrow. When the part about Han was reached, she finally reacted. She murmured, "He told me that he'd put someone of significance in carbon freeze. He said nothing of it being your boyfriend."

"Well, it was my boyfriend!" Leia barked, rather lamely. Padmé's professional, blank and attentive face was unnerving her. And then she realised that the empress now had a form of leverage. Ironically, because Vader hadn't been specific with whom he had frozen, he had kept Han safe from his wife's grasp.

Apparently, Padmé was thinking along the same lines. "So what was his name?"

Without thinking, Leia answered coolly, "I said _was_ my boyfriend."

"The carbon freeze, then? It got to him?"

Thankful, Leia took the chance to free Han from the woman's clutches. And this woman was a master politician? She had put the answer in Leia's mouth before she even had to think about a response! And she answered, "Yes." A one word answer was hard to interpret. There wasn't much the empress could do with the word 'yes," except hope that Leia was telling the truth.

"I see." With a dejected air, Padmé gracefully sat down onto a cream coloured chair. She smoothed her skirts. Leaning back and crossing her ankles, she asked, "And you went to Tatooine? Why, then, if he was dead, did you speak with Jabba? Did your boyfriend not have a massive amount of credits to give to him?"

Leia opened her mouth, then closed it. Then she answered in a voice that was strained. "No, he did, but he was gone, so the debt couldn't be paid. We were trading. We'd caught spices in some smuggled imperial cruiser and we wanted money for it." She cursed herself. Both of the last two sentences sounded like they were questions. The first sounded like she was a babbling idiot.

"I see," Padmé murmured for the second time, not calling her on it. "And was this cruiser a heavily modified YT-1300 Corellian Freighter? Anakin mentioned that upon seeing the ship, several of his officers were scared to venture aboard for fear of it collapsing."

The thought made the princess of Alderaan smile a little--against her will. It sounded like Han Solo's ship all right.

"Ah ha," Amidala mused, but without any smugness. "You caught spices aboard your boyfriend's illegal ship?"

She was stuck. Either admit that her boyfriend was on spices, or admit that she had lied about her reasons for visiting Jabba. Saying it wasn't Han's ship was out of the question. The empress already knew the truth. This was all a test.

Her royal upbringing made her want to vehemently deny any connection to spices. Her too long pause gave everything away.

"So your boyfriend lived through the freezing process. He's still alive now, and you still love or at least care greatly for him. You wouldn't have attempted your out of shape political tongue on me otherwise," concluded Amidala, a smile of amusement curving her lips.

Busted. A wave of anger and resentment flooded through her. She closed her eyes for a moment, calming herself. But as the figurative flood water drained away, it left unwanted feelings: admiration and curiosity. Admiration for the one who verbally maneuvered her into a corner. Curiosity... The question about Han had been a test. Undoubtedly, the empress had known all about Han, with the possible exception of the carbon freezing incident. But what would the empress gain by pretending not to know of Han?

Another thought occurred to her: what if the empress was seeing who she cared about so she could use them against her? The thought had occured to her earlier, but she hadn't the time to really think about it.

Then she realised that she'd have a major threat to her ideals if she stayed here. If speaking like this was normal for the senator, then surely after a long exposure time, Leia would begin to question the fundamentals, and the Alliance ... and The Force.

That was why having leverage was bad... Luke said loss, pain, and suffering lead to...

She quivered, looking at the empress in sudden fear.

"I'm not touching the Force, Empress. You might as well return me now if that is your goal," said she, trying to maintain her composure.

The empress blinked. "That is not my goal. I told you my reasons for bringing you here, though you would make an excellent Jedi. But, Princess, your talents would be wasted in that cult. Stay a senator."

"There is no senate. How am I to be a senator?" Leia asked sarcasticly, ignoring the Jedi comment — and the relief that poured through her. This woman was not to be trusted.

Padmé blinked in surprise, her composure slipping with the movement. "Your father did not tell you? You did not hear at all? Anakin and I are going to create a New Republic, restore democracy. There will be a senate for you to serve in."

Leia stared in utter disbelief. "You're reinstating the senate?" Then her pride and current situation caught up to her. "I assume you'll be at the head, dutifully leading the people in the wrong direction?"

"If the people wish that, then so be it," responded Padmé, blowing off the jeer completely. "They will vote for the chancellor. Besides, I want to settle down, raise a family. How can I do that as a chancellor?"

Leia eyed her warily. The empress spoke very carefully, but she managed to sound casual. Such was not very easy. She was greatly skilled with was nothing remotely motherly about her. It was all lies.

The twin doors opened with a bang. Startled, Leia jumped.

The tall, muscular man - the one that had kidnapped her - bounded through. She glared.

"Wrenga Jixton!" snapped Amidala. "Is it impossible for all of my husband's privately hired men to _knock_?"

The man lifted an eyebrow. "My apologies, Your Majesty." He didn't sound sorry in the slightest. "Uncle Dee just told me to tell you that the dinner is served."

Both women glared.

He said,"Wow, that's kinda kreepy. The two of you have identical glares. I guess the 'like mother, like daughter' thing really is true."

Leia blanched; Padmé clicked her teeth.

"Get out of here, Jixton. I'll be along in a moment!" the empress snapped.

"I just-"

"Get. Out. Now." The ice in her voice seemed to be freezing over the room.

He glanced at the two of them with a smirk before mockingly bowing. As Jixton fled, Leia recognised that though the voice was icy, there was no hint of violence in the tone. It just said "I mean business."

And, yet _again_, she panicked. "Who else knows?"

Padmé understood. "That we're related?" She ignored Leia's flinch. "Only my higher ups. The ones I would trust with my own life. The ones I would trust with a newly born child."

Interesting comparison, Leia thought to herself. But she needed confirmation with one last thing. "Have you told the media?"

The empress looked shocked. "Of course not! Why would I do such a thing?"

Relieved, Leia thought,_ The Alliance will have me back, then. If I can get out of this gilded cage, I should be just fine. _

She refused to think of how difficult such a feat would be.

***

"Any sign of her, Master Kenobi?" Bail asked through the comlink, his hand running through his black hair. The Jedi stood outside a store on Naboo. Passing people barely gave him a second glance.

The Jedi Master shook his head dutifully. "The Force is asking me to leave this place. I don't understand why." He paused, knowing the former senator wouldn't want to hear his other theory. "I am going to ask Master Yoda. Perhaps they moved her to Coruscant." He lied only about the second part. The princess would be wherever her parents were.

Organa nodded, his face white beneath his bronze skin. He covered his eyes with a trembling hand, sighing before signing off without a word of farewell.

On Naboo, Obi-Wan Kenobi called Master Yoda.

Neither Jedi waited for formalities.

"A shift in The Force, you have felt, hmm?" the green Jedi asked. "Felt it, I have. Young Luke too."

"Yes," answered Obi-Wan. "It seems more at ease, more ... balanced. All this happened after Princess Leia was captured. Has Luke been able to sense his sister?"

"No. But right you are. More balanced the Force is. Will of the Force, it must have been, for the princess to find her mother. Disrupt this, we should not."

It was as Obi-Wan feared. "So you believe that we should let the emperor and the empress have her? What if they harm her? And what if they discover she is more susceptible to fall than her brother? What do we tell Senator Organa? He was looking exceptionally distraught minutes earlier. This might encourage him to start his own search party. He hates the emperor far too much to listen to us."

"Silent, you will be. Weaker than other Jedi, the princess is. A better, stronger apprentice Vader will want. Remember your teachings you must. Will of the Force, the Jedi follow. Tell the senator what we must, we will," Yoda reprimanded. "Besides... ruined, she will be... if hears of this, the media does. A valuable card, the empress holds. If the Alliance discovers Leia is their daughter, want her on their side they will not. Tainted, she will be. Find her, Vader always will."

"Obi-Wan nodded and signed off. But he still could not shake off the bad feeling. Since the princess had been reunited with her mother, there was still a high chance she would turn. Padmé Amidala was just as dangerous as Darth Vader. He glanced at the Theed Palace behind him, a frown crossing his face as bad memories surfaced.

It was good that it was still abandoned.




	12. Ground Rules

JEDI Knight Luke Skywalker opened his eyes, sagging in disappointment and frustration. He slowly rose from his meditation pose, moving stiff muscles in attempt to get blood flowing.

"What is it?" the dark skinned master asked from beside him.

"Leia. I keep sensing little bits and traces of her, but she somehow keeps evading me. Vader too. And this mystery woman." He'd been able to pick up traces of the new empress back at the old base.

"It's alright, boy. No one can sense them. Just drop the thought."

Sighing, Luke nodded and dropped back into meditation.

* * *

NOT for the first time, Padmé Amidala wished that she could sense the emotions of those around her. The events that had transpired in the last half-hour were obviously life changing— and she had no idea how Leia felt about them.

There was an entire language out there, one that the ex-senator adored, cherished, and marvelled. She spent hours studying the side meanings, the hidden meanings of even the tiniest words. And no part of her beloved study could tell her about Leia. At least not what she wanted to know.

The only thing she _did_ know was that Leia didn't trust her. Not one bit. Another thing was that her own child had no problems with shoving vicious, lacerating, composure shattering words in her direction. So perhaps the best word to describe her at this moment would be pugnacious.

Or maybe she was wrong. The princess had a very strong Ice Princess façade. Perhaps she responded like Padmé's husband: when cornered, he didn't sit there and meekly wait for his captor to decide his fate. He struck out at all those who tried, who dared, to destroy him. It was a natural survival instinct. The princess was cornered in the same way. So perhaps the best word to describe her at this moment would be... not threatened, entirely, but _defensive_.

And maybe misguided. The young princess thought that the empress had ulterior motives. Understandable. But Padmé didn't. She didn't want to use the princess. She didn't want to break her or destroy her. She just wanted to know her child. Leia was just confused.

And maybe Leia wanted to know her too. She felt something for her birth-mother. Some connection was there. Leia hadn't been able to bring herself to kill her. No matter how primal and no matter how old the connection was, it was there. And _that_ was what kept her trying to see past the shield, the mask.

Because all Padmé wanted was to know her child.

As Leia asked her who knew of this apparently wretched relationship between the two of them, Padmé couldn't help but notice her flinch every time _it_ was mentioned.

As Leia asked her if she'd told the media, Padmé realised the level of corruption that her child had been exposed to.

And then she realised that it wasn't that Leia was scared that the media would mock her (they wouldn't dare with the Royals in the way), it was that she didn't know how her friends would act. How her precious Alliance would react to the news.

She needed to change the topic. _Now. _

"Your Highness, it's time to eat. Come, please. I'll show you the way to the-"

"I don't want your food."

Padmé blinked at her, but she responded quietly, "Leia. You're starving. It's been a few weeks since you last ate. You need your strength."

Leia lifted her chin. "I have no intention of eating under the eye of some laser-brained imp. I refuse to be treated like a prized animal."

"Of course not, Leia. Why would I have you do that? I'll eat with you. That way, we will be free from interruption and free to speak privately," responded Padmé. Pugnacious and defensive indeed, she thought.

Stubborn, she realised, would also be an excellent word. The look on that young woman's face screamed "I'm not moving anywhere."

Sighing, she raised a comlink to her lips. "Arí, could you just bring dinner to me? For both-"

Her new handmaiden interrupted smoothly, assuring her she would take care of everything.

"Thank you," Padmé murmured, and put the comlink away.

"I won't eat. I'd rather starve," Leia declared.

Padmé resisted the urge to bang her head against the nearest hard object. Instead, she merely said, "Suit yourself. I am eating here, and food will be brought for you. You make the decision, Leia. Why are you here?"

Leia stared. "You manhandled me, kidnapped me, and knocked me out. I don't know why I'm here."

Padmé was quite sure that she had explained the reasons she had brought Leia here, so she simply ignored the anger snagging comment. "Indeed. But why are you on this planet?"

Leia stiffened visibly. "The underground resistance leaders here had gained strength. I was going to ask them to join the Alliance."

Padmé opened her mouth to ask if the leaders had been expecting her, but realised Leia would dismiss it as an interrogation and quickly close off. She said simply, "A noble cause. They let you do this alone?"

The wince was barely noticeable. _Ah_, Padmé mused, _there is something else_.

"They trust me."

"They endanger you." They half-exiled you, Princess. Why?

"I had a bodyguard," snapped Leia. Her expression was unreadable, even for Padmé's advanced experience.

"Leia, if people wanted you dead, one bodyguard isn't enough."

"A Jedi is."

"A Jedi? As in Luke?"

"No," Leia said flatly. She bristled slightly at Luke's name.

"I saw the holo recordings, Leia. I know what happened. Master Kenobi came to collect you, and you insisted on staying another day to visit Theed. Which happened to be where I was."

She froze, desperately fumbling for a response.

The door opened, and Arí walked in, balancing plates of food on each hand.

She glided across the floor and put the platters on the table before the empress.

Padmé blinked, surprised that anyone could manage a feat. She remembered that her handmaiden used to wait on tables before coming into service.

"Many thanks, Arí."

The handmaiden gave a soft smile and bowed. "Any time, Majesty." She glanced at Leia, who was glaring viciously at her, and inclined her head. "Princess." She turned and swept from the room before Leia could splutter a nasty retort.

Padmé reached over and uncovered a dish. She smiled softly at the arrangement of fish, pasta, and greens. (Forgive me if I'm not using the right words there.)

"Do you like fish?" she asked calmly.

"Does it matter? I'm not eating it," Leia said acerbically.

"Hmm," Padmé hummed. She'd just had an interesting idea get into her mind. "Interesting. You choose not to eat, which leads to starvation or rather, death. But Princess, surely you realise that there will be a point that will be reached when you can no longer fight back. You'll be hospitalised, and put into a more helpless situation."

Very, very slowly, Leia extended a hand and took a plate. She put it in front of her, reaching for a fork.

Padmé watched as she took a bite. Relieved, she continued her semi-interrogation. "Why did you want to come to Theed?"

Leia had her eyes closed as she savoured the fish. "It's the capital. I always go to the capitals."

_Lies. _Padmé sighed. "Perhaps we should set some ground rules."

Leia's eyes popped open so she could glare. "I'm not a _child_."

"You're acting like one."

"How would you act if you were captured by the enemy?" she spat.

"My enemies always were trying to murder me, not make conversation. That is slightly different than your current predicament."

"Trying to get me to listen to the empire is worse than dying. That woman that walked in-- she was practically brainless in her hurry to assist you!"

That one stung. The new empress had no qualms with Leia attacking her, but her friends and servants were another matter. "Rule number one: you treat every one of my servants like you would a respected acquaintance. No more of that glaring and being sullen. They're obeying my orders. You may talk to _me_ however you wish, so long as it is in private. Understood?"

The glare increased a notch.

Annoyed, she lay down her second law. "I want a clearly understood vocal response. A grunt is below you, Princess. In private, I don't care for titles, but in the presence of others I expect one. Understand?"

"Yes," Leia barely managed.

Padmé relaxed slightly. "Good. Three: I would like for you, when in public, to wear clothes expected for someone of your status."

"What?!"

_Anakin mentioned she had an aversion to fancy. _

"I am _not_ a dress up doll or a plaything! You're absurd!"

"This particular rule is not negotiable."

"I refuse!"

"You will be able to wear whatever you wish. I'll just provide the magazines."

"No."

"Fine. You can go naked." Seeing her splutter in utter anger and shock, Padmé proceeded onto rule four. "No weapons."

"I-!"

"You will not be in any danger. People should listen to you."

Leia just stared, eyes burning with fury.

Padmé stared back. The food lay between them, forgotten. Neither one wanted to back down.

Leia, though, looked away first.

"Leia. Please," the empress whispered. "Look at me."

"When are you going to let me go?"

"How long were you supposed to stay?" Padmé asked. She was beginning to have another genius idea.

"Six months."

"Six more months, then. Starting today."

The young princess started in surprise. "You'll let me go without a fuss?"

Padmé smiled without cheer. "I doubt it will be without fuss, Leia. But yes. I can't keep you here forever."

Suspiciously, the princess eyed her. "I'll hold you to that."

Padmé nodded. "I know."


	13. ED1 to SD2

Here ya go!

***

Chapter Thirteen-End of Day 1 and Start of Day 2 (or ED1 to SD2)

6 April 2010

LEIA was confused. The woman before her made no sense whatsoever.

She hated that the way she had handled her refusals had stirred a reluctant admiration for the woman. The princess knew that with admiration came respect, then devotion, then, horribly, a sickening sense of reverence, perhaps worship.

She needed to find a way to get the woman to say something vile and repulsive. She said, softly, "I don't suppose that you are accustomed to holding up your part of the deal without prodding from others."

The empress had started to eat the food. She paused, fork halfway to her mouth, and lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "I suppose that statement comes from one who must have poor enough judgement to make deals with those who daren't effectuate their portion of a deal." She put the fork down, perhaps a bit more gently than needed. "I assure you, Princess, I have never, and will never, back out on any deal. Would you like it in writing?"

Leia barely controlled her flinch. That was a low comment. But it had been in very well concealed anger. The way the empress had released the fork had shown exaggerated control.

But she did not know how to rebut the first claim; she snapped in response to the last, "How is anything going to be accomplished by insignificant papers? The witness would be one of your peoples; any civilian grabbed off the street would not dare go against the beast that is the empire."

The empress sighed, nodding. "I suppose you will have to trust me, Princess. You do not have any other options with this 'beast' of an empire looming before your resisting self." She tilted her head slightly. "But within a few months people should not be fearing the empire so. My husband and I intend on changing it for the better, so that we slowly can return to something more democratic. And perhaps you will find an ally amongst my troops here. You may get the papers signed then."

_Yes, and then we may skip through the meadows hand in hand_, Leia thought darkly. _You and that disgusting _husband_ of yours. _She said coldly, "That is as likely as your husband being a decent being."

The empress merely stared. "If you think I have not received enough grief over my husband then you are sorely mistaken. Comments as such are whispered, both behind me and to me, and I care not about them. But I assure you, Leia, that he has changed. Eat your vegetables."

Leia felt her features morph themselves into pure astonishment and doubt before she could control them. The last sentence had been spoken in that soft yet vehement tone that all the previous ones had possessed. Slowly, she grabbed something green off of her plate.

So Padmé thought that Vader had changed. Luke did too. But Leia refused to think such things. He had tortured her, managed to hurt her brother—his son!—, and almost killed her significant other. Vader was evil.

As she chewed, Padmé spoke. "Undoubtedly you doubt me." She allowed herself a half-amused smile at the sentence. "But perhaps you would deign to meet him now?"

Leia froze. See Vader? Goose-bumps sprinted up her arms. The stirring of fear that resided in the labyrinth of her heart slowly began the correct path out. She felt her lips purse. "Seeing him will not change a thing. I will make my opinions based on the things he does."

"A wise decision. Am I incorrect to assume you will do the same with me? Or am I going to be judged as though Anakin and I are the same entity?"

Anakin. Leia stared, narrowing her eyes. "You chose to go with Vader. How would you judge yourself were you in my position?"

The empress permitted herself a frown. "You do not know my husband."

"He tortured me!" Leia hissed, stunned. "Of course I know him!"

"Vader did that," corrected the empress. "Anakin would never."

Leia exhaled sharply in frustration, lifting her gaze to the ceiling and shaking her head. "I-"

"No," Padmé said sharply. "I am not here to provoke you. You said you would judge after you met him; I must trust your word, and you mine."

"You have promised nothing!"

"What would you have me promise? And I vowed to return you, did I not?"

The first question hovered in the air. Leia paused. She asked, snidely, "Are you just going to keep me here, locked up like a royal pet? Or will I have been granted the honour of being in your presences?"

"You may go anywhere in the palace."

"You _are _caging me?!" Leia all but shrieked.

"Let me finish, Princess," Padmé answered, but coolly. "And you are allowed outside with a guard."

"Oh? I'm allowed on the grounds? What an _honour_!" The sarcasm dripped from her voice and formed a puddle at their feet.

"No, Leia. Outside as in all of Naboo."

Leia opened her mouth but failed to say anything particularly witty other than a mumbled "oh." The whole planet?

"Yes. It is far too beautiful here to stay indoors."

Leia found herself agreeing before she could help herself. She glanced at the woman beside her, expecting to see a glimmer of triumph. But she saw none. She saw a smile, genuine and pleased. There was nothing mocking. It was like…

"So you do like the planet! I was hoping you would. It's my home planet, but I never spent much time on it. I was always on Coruscant…"

It was like delight. A "you like my house?"delight. Leia considered the woman's sudden change in mannerism with the last sentences. So much choppier, much less eloquent…

She couldn't control herself. "How old are you?" she blurted.

The empress slipped back into her normal façade, brow creasing in distaste. "I assumed Bail would have told you—"

"He told me how you died," Leia snapped, anxious to protect her beloved father. _He,_ after all_,_ had raised her. He deserved the credit. "But he never told me who you were."

The woman's breath hitched. For a split second she looked as though someone had dared to slap her across the face, but she swiftly recovered, with the grace of royalty. "I see," she said, voice normal. "I was twenty-seven when I died."

_She's less than four years older than me! _Leia realised, dumbfounded. She whispered, "Then everything my father told me was false? With you being queen and senator?" She realised, too late, she sounded like a petulant child.

"No. I was queen. I was a senator. I got a political start at fourteen."

Gods, this woman was merciful. She could have been beaten down after all she had asked. She shook her head. Now that her first questions had been answered, she wanted all of her questions answered. They rested at the tip of her tongue, fighting to get out. More than once she opened her mouth. She was sure that she was giving a remarkable dying fish impression. With that thought, she clasped her lips tightly together.

The empress stared placidly. She sensed, Leia realised, that she was done with the questions. Padmé would not pressure her.

Leia sighed, and for a half second her shoulders slumped.

Someone knocked on the door. Padmé softly bid the knocker to enter. It was a handmaiden.

Leia studied the woman as she crossed the room to the empress. She stiffened, feeling threatened by the unknown lady-in-waiting. She glanced at Padmé unconsciously. Padmé glanced back, then looked at the maiden. "Calla?"

"My Lady," greeted the handmaiden. "Forgive me for entering, but…." The rest of the sentence was said in a different tongue. Leia froze.

Padmé rose. "Outside? Seven hours…?" Her voice grew icy.

Calla winced. "Padmé, please, it isn't _my_ fault. Go chew the security guards out."

Padmé sat back gracefully. "Of course. I'm sorry. This is a rather tender subject for the both of us. What did Anakin do? And where is his old friend now?"

"We're uncertain. Your husband is meditating. "

"Are you checking the logs? Check surveillance cameras. It is mandatory for shops in Theed to have them. Check where Leia was staying. Sometimes the best hiding spot is under our noses. And for that matter, have the troopers patrol the ground."

Leia felt her blood run cold. She opened her mouth.

Padmé continued, "And have the blasters set for stun. Tell them to be courteous to the civilians and to their target. Anyone harmed will be on their heads. Any_thing_ harmed will be on their heads as well. The people cannot afford a complete destruction of the town."

Calla curtseyed and trotted away.

Padmé smoothed an eyebrow with a finger, then put her cheek in her palm.

"What's going on?" Leia demanded.

"Jedi," the empress responded, her tone still imperial and cold. "Master Kenobi was seen on the steps of the palace."

Leia noted, shocked, that there was no sense of anger or hatred in the woman's voice. Just irritation. "Oh? Is he dead now?"

Padmé's gaze rose so quickly that Leia jerked back in surprise. "I would never harm Obi-Wan. He was a dear friend of mine, a noble friend, and I have him to thank that you and your brother are not mindless servants of the Dark side. Never insinuate that I even think poorly of him again."

Ouch. Leia recoiled, and instantly berated herself for allowing such weakness. But that tone!

And the woman actually cared. That was eerie.

For a split second, a horrible thought passed through Leia's mind: _If she cares about the same people the Alliance cares about, then why are we fighting? The orders she gave are so like orders my _real _father would have given. _

She nodded, meekly, in response to Padmé's snapped order, trying to clear the nausea from her stomach at the thought of agreeing with her.

Padmé rose again. "I must go to supervise this."

Leia stiffened, clenching the sofa. She was terrified of the notion of being left alone in a massive, unfamiliar room in a massive, unfamiliar palace. Imperials could come and mock her and do… other things… while she was still weak.

She felt safer in the empress's presence.

She hated it.

"Lovely," she bit out haughtily.

Padmé studied her. "What was Obi-Wan doing on Naboo?"

Leia bristled. "I will not deign to answer that question."

The empress lifted a brow a fraction. "Perhaps you will explain why you dislike Obi-Wan so much."

"I don't dislike him!" Leia retorted, appalled.

"But you do not like him."

"I do not like what he follows." The words were out before Leia could control herself. She felt the remaining blood drain from her face. It was the first time she had mentioned the deep thought aloud. And to the empress of all people!

But again the empress responded reassuringly. "It is a noble culture, the Jedi Order. But some of it is wrong." Padmé lifted her gaze to the ceiling.

_Yes! _Leia wanted to scream. She was delighted that someone understood how she felt.

"The Jedi," Padmé mused aloud, "never permitted relationships. That was my largest area of discontent. What was yours?" Leia remained silent.

"Very well. Would you like to come with me?"

Leia narrowed her eyes. "I do not like being coerced into doing things I do not wish to do." It was the answer to both questions.

The barest hint of a smile danced at the elder woman's lips. She understood. "Obi-Wan will not be harmed, Leia." She began to glide gracefully to the door, where yet another handmaiden waited. "If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask."

The princess threw her a poisonous glare. "Go away."

"Already in the process, Princess. Do catch up." The empress threw a delighted "ha, I got the last word!" smile at her and closed the elegant door as she left. *

Damn that woman! Leia swore mentally, refusing to give the cameras the pleasure of catching her reacting in anger.

Leia glanced at the cream coloured furniture on the balcony. She resisted the urge to throw it into the falls. She sighed, looking at the place where she had attempted to shoot the empress.

She felt an unwanted emotion worming its way inside her icy heart. Guilt.

"Oh, nononono," she whispered aloud. "She is a vicious, heartless woman that deserves to die."

She wondered if a vicious woman could relate to her in the ways Padmé had not ten minutes earlier. Apparently so.

Then she remembered something the woman had said. _"The Jedi never permitted relationships. That was my largest area of discontent."_

Leia frowned. The empire had been founded on her birthday. Her "mother" —she could hardly call the woman who left her assigned room mother—had died in childbirth the day her "father" had died. Luke said that going over to another side of the Force was like dying. So her "father" had died on Empire Day, which meant that he and Padmé had carried on a relationship that was forbidden.

Like her and Han.

Indirectly, they—Padmé and Leia— were both victims of the Jedi's foolish laws.

Leia watched a leaf fall to the falls as the wind blew.

Padmé knew of her boyfriend. She hadn't shown any signs of revulsion.

What did it mean?

And what did the promise that Padmé had made with her signify? After six months she would be returned. But would the woman uphold her part of the bargain?

The door opened after a quick knock. She turned, expecting to see the empress but stopped upon seeing a young man around her age.

He stopped too. He went scarlet. He walked quickly to her, and bowed, quickly, and said sharply, "Hello, Your Highness. I'm Captain Dill Spencer. I was looking for Her Majesty. We had a status report."

Short, sweet, and to the point. And efficient Imperial. Was he a walking oxymoron? (Or, as my Spanish professor likes to say, a moron who was oxidised.) Leia looked at him. "She's not here. I don't know where she is. I am stuck in this room to rot away. Get out, and do something useful." She tilted her head. "Assuming you know what the definition of useful is. Might I define it for you, noble captain?"

She waited, expectant, for the flash of anger and hurt that would cross his face. Lashing out would make her feel better, and, perhaps, get this little boy out of the military.

But he grinned. "Certainly. Define away, even if your royal self, if you would forgive me for saying so, my Princess, does not need any definition. Your pastime out there is unbelievably productive."

Well. The boy could snap back. She blinked, picking up something she hadn't noticed before. Two things, really. One: the guy was drop dead gorgeous. Curly blonde hair that was cropped at ear length, with golden skin and grey eyes. She berated herself for even noticing. And second: the guy was from Alderaan. Or so she thought.

"You're from Alderaan," she said, more softly. "You speak like a northerner." She'd never met an Alderaanian that sided with the Empire.

He shrugged. "Yes. My father and I were off planet when _it_ happened." His voice darkened slightly.

"And you serve the Empire?!" Leia all but snarled, livid. How dare he turn his back on his people? He sounded angry!

"I serve Her Majesty, and, by default, the Empire. I am indebted to her; she saved my life once. I am proud of my position. The empress is a good woman."

"That woman does not look as though she ever lifts a finger!" Leia rasped, trying not to yell.

"She totally kicks ass though. She knows like fifty kinds of fighting styles and—" He went scarlet and bowed again. "Begging Her Highness's pardon. I did not mean to speak to you in such a manner."

Leia instantly liked him. She could tell, from the blush, that he was a good man. A normal Imp wouldn't have taken it so seriously. Her hatred began to ebb. But first a test…

"What were you going to tell the empress?"

He stared at her with narrowed eyes. After a moment he said, "It is a complete broach of security to tell you that Master Kenobi is not on the palace grounds. I dare not mention it." He said it perfectly straight faced.

"Thank you, Captain Spencer, for not divulging any important information," a very dry voice said from the door. They both turned. Another woman that looked exactly like the empress stood there, arms crossed.

"Lady Wyldon. I didn't that the information would have been harmful. I apologise if I have overstepped," Spencer said, paling. His fingers twitched by his side.

"I do believe that you have overstepped physically. You know men are not permitted in this room without Her Highness's permission." Lady Wyldon nodded her head at Leia. "That is the only issue."

"I came looking for the empress, my lady. Do you know her present location?"

The lady looked amused. "She was with her husband in the 'war room,'" she murmured slowly. Spencer bowed, quickly, at both of them, and hastily asked for leave and fled.

Lady Wyldon lifted an eyebrow, looking exactly like the empress.

Leia glared at her in irritation.

"Good night, Princess," the woman murmured.

Leia spun. Indeed, it was black outside. She blinked, looking down at the clothes.

"The closet," supplied the handmaiden. "It will have all the things you need." She paused. "The empress will come and collect you at around eleven. Breakfast is a buffet. Too much food to carry back here."

_She's finally getting me into public,_ Leia panicked silently. She merely stared at her, unable to respond. The door closed.

Leia swallowed.

Day Two

LEIA managed to find clothes the previous night. To her delight, it had been an old baggy t-shirt and some shorts that served as night-wear. A far cry from the royal garb of the previous day.

She fell into the bed, into an astonishingly peaceful sleep.

She woke, for one of the first times in at least six years, because a servant had been shaking her gently. She slapped the hand away. The woman stepped back, but said calmly, "Good morning, Your Highness. It is oh-nine-hundred."

Leia stared at her, sleep groggy. The room was dark. Very dark. Shades had been drawn. She scowled. Those hadn't been there before.

"Not a morning person, hmm?" queried the woman.

Leia then remembered that she was in the presence of the enemy. She sat up, so quickly that the room spun. "I am too. Leave me be."

"I have orders to help dress you."

Leia gave a harsh, mocking laugh. "I am not four, and I will not condone being treated as such. Tell your empress to stop wasting her time."

"You tell her."

"I shall! Take me to her!"

"Certainly. Would you have me take you through the halls in that?" The woman gestured to the shirt. Leia swore under her breath and stalked to the closet. Again she chose something simple and fast. The servant frowned in distaste, obviously hoping to have been able to dress her in something more stylish.

Glaring hatefully at her, Leia dared her mentally to say something, anything, anything at all about her choice in attire.

The servant did comment, stiffly. "I am not at liberty to question you yet. But I suggest changing into something more appropriate for one of your stature. The empress will physically change you into something else."

Leia snorted. Like she was going to believe that.

TEN-THIRTY came along. Padmé took one look at her and practically sniffed, "Change. We are going into public."

Leia lifted her chin. "Absolutely not. I am not a dress up doll."

Her Majesty seemed to grow thirty feet in the next second. Leia actually shrank away as the woman hissed, "I ask very little of you while here. Yesterday you seemed to be very concerned about my holding up of the bargain, but what of yours? Change."

Leia stood, floored. Half of her was actually nervous about incurring the woman's wrath; her other half was strongly defiant. And besides, her sense of self preservance had long since been lacking. She bit out, "There was no deal on my part, nothing that would bind me! It was all you. I cannot believe you suggest such a thing!"

Padmé stared, emotionless. Mentally she was furious that she had not bothered to have Leia take up an oath of some sort, but it was too late to go back on the deal now. She said simply, "Change, or we do it for you."

Leia scoffed again.

Eight people later, she was dressed more elegantly.

LEIA was fuming. Though the clothes were considerably more comfortable than the ones she had grown accustomed to, she had had her personal space bubble popped. Gently, mind you, as the handmaidens that had magically assembled behind the empress were very careful not to hurt her in any way. Even her hair had been brushed so that not even the slightest twinge of pain had been registered.

Thankfully she got out without makeup covering her face. The handmaidens had enthusiastically tried, but Padmé had firmly put her heeled foot down.

And now they walked—she was half dragged by two of the handmaidens—to the kitchen.

"What is your favourite breakfast food?" Padmé asked, quietly, trying to start a conversation.

Leia glared furiously, anger threatening to cloud her vision. She did not answer.

Padmé instead smiled. "A grudge holder, I see. Were you hurt?"

Mutely, she shook her head.

"Good. If you would just wear appropriate clothes, then you should not have to go through such an ordeal. It is your own fault. I'm not asking you to jump off a cliff."

_I would rather, _Leia thought poisonously.

Padmé shot her a semi-glare. "Did you give Breha this much trouble?"

"She died when I was six," Leia said flatly. "And yes. And the handmaidens after that too."

Padmé looked genuinely saddened. "I was close friends with her. I'm sorry you knew her for such a short amount of time."

Leia swallowed. Damn this woman and the sincere tone of voice! "It doesn't matter," she said, brusquely, glancing out of a window. "I'll meet her again someday."

"That you will," the empress murmured. "Turn here."

Leia pulled herself out of the handmaidens' grasp and stepped forward quickly—

—and collided with a man's chest.

She bounced back almost comically, tilting her head slightly to see the man's face. She blinked. He looked just like… Luke.

Wait… She felt a sense of heavy dread careen into her. It was_ him. _

She unwillingly stepped back, until she was touching the empress, a twisted instinct telling her that Padmé could be trusted. She remembered, suddenly, that nobody in the palace could be trusted. Especially not the empress.

Preparing for some kind of assault, she rolled her shoulders back and said, icily, "Vader."

The man before her was gorgeous. Curly-ish hair, blue eyes, flawless skin. Tall and mysterious. He looked nothing like Vader. But he simply inclined his head and said, "Leia."

Yes. Vader indeed.


	14. Day Two

**May 19**

**Day Two, Month One**

**"I** was just coming to see if everyone had managed to make it out of there alive," he said, glancing at Padmé. She merely lifted a brow, then accepted a kiss. Leia tried not to gape.

"I am perfectly capable of defending myself," said Padmé, stonily.

"What kept you?" he asked. Leia was astonished to see amusement on his handsome face.

"Life," the empress answered, narrowing her eyes. She guided Leia forward, hand on her back. Leia was so surprised by their childishness that she completely forgot to resist. Padmé glanced over her shoulder. "What did you make for breakfast?"

The man shrugged. "Little bit of everything."

_Vader cooked? _Then she saw the "little bit of everything." Her mouth dropped. Piles and piles of food sat in the massive kitchen, begging to be consumed.

She wrenched her eyes away from the food and promptly looked for the ways out of the room. The door she'd entered, and another on the far side of the room. The far wall was completely glass, with a beautiful view to the city and mountains. And it opened to a stone balcony that lead to one of the waterfalls. _Behind _one of the waterfalls.

Leia felt the desire to explore touch her. She half prepared to take a step, then remembered that she was in the hands of the enemy. She stopped. Her chance for escape out that way were slim to none anyway. Everything was recorded. She could see the camera box even now.

"What would you like, Leia?" Padmé asked calmly.

"Nothing," she bit out, glaring.

"Bit of everything, then," Vader said dryly. He piled food onto a plate and handed it to her, then did the same with the empress.

"Table. Sit," instructed Padmé.

Furious, Leia sat, eyeing her warily as she sat next to her, at the head of the table. She set her plate down, surprised when she heard the sound of glass against real wood.

Vader sat as well, across from her.

Leia tried not to panic, but it was hard when she was flanked by her arch rivals. _Brave face, Leia, brave face. _

"What had you decided?" Vader asked Padmé.

"Six months. Or the time that she was supposed to spend here. We'll contact Bail and return her then."

"Generally, it is not considered hospitable to speak of one's guests as if they are not there," Leia said coldly, staring at her fork and hoping it would melt.

"Generally it is not considered hospitable to speak of one's hosts so poorly. You of all people should know that," countered Padmé. She threw a weighted glare in Vader's direction; he snapped his mouth shut. She proceeded. "And you must stop sending mixed messages. Do you want to sit in stony silence or become involved?"

Leia deigned not to answer.

Padmé delicately sniffed. "Stony silence it is. Do not complain then."

"I-"

"How did you think we were going to contact Organa?" Vader interrupted swiftly, his bright blue gaze darting between the two of them.

Leia snapped her mouth shut and glared.

Padmé shifted to look at him. "We could very well just pop in there waving a white flag. It's Bail; he'd see what we wanted." She frowned. "Assuming we'd let ourselves get caught."

Vader just stared at her. Leia for once agreed with him. "You're mental," she said mordantly.

Padmé looked amused. "Ye of such little faith. You have no idea of the power I may or may not possess."

Leia felt her blood run cold. A wave of grudging respect passed through her. The woman had physically been so delighted and cheerful, but her tone had been soft, and, surprisingly, there was a thinly veiled threat in her words. She felt a now familiar pressure in her chest. The ache of a small betrayal. The empress had claimed she was trustworthy, and Leia had, unbelievingly, believed her. And now she was being threatened.

And she also heard the truth of her words. This woman had been _dead_ for twenty-four years a month ago. She'd popped up again, like some stubborn weed in the garden, and easily worked her way to the throne within a few weeks. But that was because of Vader. Her jests of power meant power in others, namely Vader with the Force. She was not dangerous herself, was she?

_Melt, _she ordered her fork again, silently, trying to vent her stress.

"Leia, please. Stop trying to melt the silver and enjoy the food. It is fantastic," Padmé murmured a split second later. They locked eyes before the empress stood. Leia tried to breath through her shock. It was a _coincidence_, she told herself.

"What are you doing?" Vader asked curiously.

"I want to see what you wrote for the bill. I'll be back." She departed, emotionless handmaidens trailing after her.

_Odd, _Leia thought, but she had bigger problems. She was alone. With _Vader_.

Her first instinct was to flee. For reasons unbeknownst to her, she did not have the thought when the empress was in the room, but now—

Her second instinct was to ignore her first one. So she did, and she stared at the murderous lord that sat by her.

Vader spoke first, with a trace of uncharacteristic awkwardness. "You really should eat. That is infinitely better than what you have received in my"-his lips twisted at the memory- "care before."

"Are you surprised I seriously doubt that?" she snapped without thinking.

His brow furrowed. "Terribly."

She blinked, taken aback. Then she realised that he was being dry. Desert in the middle of dry season dry. Frustrated that she had not caught on instantly, she retorted, "I don't know _why_. The only thing you're good for is destroying innocents. Cooking should not be in your vocabulary. Unless you intend on baking innocents into pies after they've passed on."

He looked her dead in the eye, looking so much like Luke for a second that she wanted to cry. "I am done with that."

"Liar."

He paled, and something akin to pain flashed across his face. A memory danced behind his eyes, and he repeated, "I am done with that."

She scoffed. "And I have given up breathing. You're absurd if you think I would believe that, Vader. I never will. Not after what I have seen you do."

He covered his face with his large hand. "I know," he said, almost to himself. "I know. I know you doubt me." He sighed heavily. "You will have to see me do more. I wasn't always a terrorist, Princess."

She stared at him. How was she to respond to that statement? I don't want to see you do good? She targeted the last sentence. "People don't just randomly become terrorists, Vader. The urge had to be there in the first place."

"Anakin."

"What?"

"My name. Anakin. Not Vader. At least not in private."

She stared. _Anakin? _It fit, she had to admit, better than Vader did. He was probably the same age as her now. As least physically. He didn't have that harshness that screamed murderer. Very well. She could play along. His red herring, though, had distracted her, and she tried to get the conversation back to where she wanted. Not where _he _wanted. She repeated cooly, "People don't just randomly become terrorists, _Anakin_."

He shook his head. "No, they don't. But perhaps they're coerced into being one."

Coerced? Uneasily, she tried to go back to her original point. "The urge-"

"The urge," he interrupted, "is there for everybody. It is a matter of ordeals that force you into submitting to the urge. And the anger and hatred are stronger in some of us than others." He looked at her steadily.

He was right. Leia cringed, the thought almost causing her physical pain. She looked down at her plate. It really did smell good. She hadn't seen anything like it since her days on Alderaan, save a few missions for the Alliance. "So you aren't sorry for what you have done?"

He looked surprised, and Leia felt a surge of relief. He was so much easier to read than his significant other. He answered, "What makes you say _that_?"

She looked at him coldly. "You're emperor again. And your name is Vader."

He furrowed his brow. "I see how that would be potentially confusing. I am trying to atone for what I have done. What better way than to reshape the galaxy back into a democracy? It is easier to control the people if they already know the ruler," he explained. "My newer methods will garner less resistance than it would if I were a new leader."

Leia was stuck on the third sentence. _Into a democracy? _She stammered, "So why not join the Alliance?"

"It's faster this way. Even if I did help the Alliance win, the people would still be in an uproar."

_Oh. My. God. _Leia understood. What he said made sense. And she _agreed _with him.

She slapped herself back into reason. "And I'm supposed to believe that Darth Vader has spontaneously given up all hold on the Dark side and turned to the Light once more? That he wants to create a _democracy_? How stupid do you think I—or anybody, really—am?"

"Yes, you're supposed to believe that. Didn't Luke tell you?"

That caught her off guard. She lied, "Tell me? Let me think… no! And what do you know about democracy?" Luke wasn't right anyway.

He drummed his fingers against the wood. "Nothing," he replied curtly. "But Padmé was a queen and a senator. She knows a substantial amount of information. Liberal information." He added the last part almost under his breath.

Before she could respond, a young man appeared at the door. "Your Majesty, Her Majesty demands your presence in the throne room."

Vader stood, frowning. "Did she say why-?"

"The, ah, bill,Your Majesty."

Vader's shoulders sagged. "I hate politics," he muttered under his breath. "Too much paperwork." He looked at the captain, then at Leia. "Princess, you met Captain Spencer, correct?"

That was why he had seemed familiar. Leia glared at both of them and nodded curtly.

"Good. Spencer, take her back to her quarters after you give her a tour of the wing where she is staying. No—make sure she eats something. I will see you, Princess, later." He, with the same flare as Padmé, swept from the room.

Leia stared after him in shock. Both Padmé and _Anakin_ had swept from the room within ten minutes of each other, leaving her alone. They were totally, completely, and utterly unpredictable. And Padmé was not by any means a trophy wife. It was all a façade. Gods, it looked like she was the one in charge. Leia couldn't fathom Darth Vader pretending to be beneath any woman for even a moment. That made her think that what he claimed, about the "changing and becoming a better person and atoning for his sins" argument, had some sort of basis. It terrified her.

She strengthened her resolve. The act could not last much longer.

Spencer sat. She stared. "How typical of an imperial. Sitting in royalty's presence," she hissed softly, narrowing her gaze.

"Isn't it?" he agreed, reaching over to her plate and grabbing some article of food. Her brow furrowed. A distant memory of her aunts saying that she would get premature wrinkles if she frown popped into her mind; she frowned even more. As he pulled his hand back, she, without thinking, extended a hand and clutched at his fist.

He lifted a brow to his hairline. "Oh, do you want it now?"

She cursed silently. "I want your filthy hands to stay off of the plate. Bugs needn't die from whatever germs you have on those things."

He grinned. "No bugs in this place, Your Highness. My Lady is not a fan of them indoors, and this method works well."

She sneered, and selected a jumble of unknown food from the plate, and she popped it into her mouth.

Taste exploded. She almost wept with delight, unaccustomed to anything but ration bars and nasty Alliance bars. She took another bite.

Spencer grinned again. "That's My Lord's specialty." He gave the complicated Nubian name and launched into an explanation of its origin. By the time he finished, Leia had as well.

She rose, and he leapt to his feet. "Shall I escort you to your room?" he asked. "My Lord wanted a tour, so I must give you one, but then it would be to your rooms."

She closed her mouth. She had been preparing to order him to take her back, but he had beaten her to it. She was thankful. It was not her palace; she should not order others around.

_Oh, gods, how fast have I been slipping? _she asked herself.

She shivered.


	15. Day Two, continued

AND this, Your Highness, is the dining hall," Spencer said confidently.

She was only half listening. The architecture of the palace in Theed delighted her. It was beautiful, with soft colours and lovely gardens. That she could look out one window and see the town, and another window and see a sharp drop and rolling mountains in the distance was delighting in it and of itself, for she could not do such a thing on Alderaan.

"It has been over twenty-four years since this hall has been used. Since the inception of the Clone Wars, if I am not mistaken."

Gods, it was weird. Twenty-four years this, twenty-four years that. Everything seemed to coincide with when she had been born. It shouldn't have given her chills, but it did. She had never seen democracy, her highest role model, but she had been born while it took its last heaving breaths and then fell into dormancy.

_Dormancy. _Democracy would be awakened before her generation was gone. She hadn't worked so hard to see her efforts whither away.

"When the empress was queen, invaders managed to destroy a section of this famous dining hall. If you'll look, you'll notice the scar in the corner, by the window…"

The material from which the palace was made was much bolder, much deeper in colour than that of the surrounding materials in that corner by the window. It must have cost a fortune to repair it; one of the support beams had been cracked, she noticed, glancing towards the ceiling.

The hand-painted ceiling.

Feeling ridiculous, she tilted her head back, studying the painting. It was a painting of what she supposed was all of Naboo, complete with rivers, mountains, deserts, drylands, lakes, people, Gungans among them. Beautiful.

Spencer, noticing the direction of her gaze, said, "Thirty six years ago, Queen Amidala made peace with the Gungans, the first of such an agreement in centuries, and after the Battle of Naboo, she commissioned a man named Paolo to paint that section."

Yes, this was a fine gilded cage, this palace on Naboo, filled with art and history. Although, if Padmé had spoken the truth, the palace was merely her part of her house, and the whole planet itself would be her playground. She doubted what Padmé had spoken.

She wondered when fresh air would grace her lungs again. Six months? After the empress vowed to release her? Standing on her balcony did not count.

"And that throne," Spencer began, but his comlink sounded. "Excuse me," he said politely, and answered it, listening for a moment, then vowing to "be right there."

He placed it back on his belt. "I'm needed to help with-"

A soft throat clearing stopped him, and he flushed. "I'll see you around, Your Highness. If I may…" He waited, and without thinking, she inclined her head, silently dismissing him to attend his duties.

Then, as she watched him retreat, a woman stepped to her side silently. She had been the one to clear her throat, urging him into silence.

Leia blinked, and a pit gathered in her stomach. She knew, deep in her gut, that this woman had been with them the entire time, and she hadn't noticed.

And that meant she was good at her job.

Leia turned to get a better look at her new "companion." She was met with a red hood, and a red robe. No distinguishing features were visible.

One of the handmaidens.

Instantly, her situation slapped her in the face. She had been momentarily distracted by the tour, the architecture, but now that one of the empress's most loyal servants faced her, the joy seeped into the cold stone beneath her feet.

She gritted her teeth, then stopped herself, cursing the habit she had managed to adopt. Quietly, she demanded, "Who are you?"

"They call me Cordé," she replied, her voice even and steady. Even having known Padmé for such a short amount of time, she could tell that the handmaiden's voice resembled the empress's. "I am to be your escort for the duration of your visit, Your Highness."

"Oh, are you now? How kind and thoughtful of Her Majesty." The last words were almost snarled.

There was silence for a moment; Cordé then said, "I'm to be watching you for the duration of your capture, Leia."

She didn't know if it were intended to be funny, but she laughed anyway, wanting to see the handmaiden's response.

The woman chuckled as well, albeit more softly, and gestured towards the far side of the Hall. Leia obeyed, falling into a slow step, more due to her lack of practise with long heels than reluctance.

As they walked in silence, the princess's mind was racing. _She doesn't sound as though she agrees with the empress? A potential ally, maybe? _"How did you come to serve the empress?"

Cordé glanced at her, or at least the hood shifted in her direction. "I served her when she was a senator."

"A tender subject?" Leia prodded, softly.

"No, not at all! She was a kind, respectful mistress. I do not, however, relish the memory of being blown to pieces in her name. Or the memory of dying in her arms."

Leia snapped her mouth shut, a myriad of emotions flooding through her. First and foremost was shock. The handmaiden _still_ served, even after being roasted? Second, irritation, for the empress was "kind" and "respectful," and third because—

She voiced her third emotion, because she couldn't name it mentally. "How did you die in her arms if you had been 'blown to pieces'?"

"What a morbid thought."

"Perhaps you should end it, then."

"We were travelling to Coruscant; she in a fighter, me in the actually ship. We landed, ka-boom, and then I was being cradled. Her security officer, gods, Typho, I think his name was, was begging her to leave the area, she assured me I hadn't failed her… and that was it," Cordé said matter-of-factly.

_No potentially ally here. Whoops. _

"Oh," she said, and they walked in silence for a moment.

_What kind of woman was this Padmé, to inspire such loyalty in her followers? What kind of woman _is_ she now? _

"I'm sorry I asked," she said, and the handmaiden chuckled. "I figured you would ask, Highness. I'd been preparing for that question since Padmé - Her Majesty, excuse me – gave me this assignment. If anything, I am delighted that you asked so bluntly. You know now. No potential allies, at least for your escape, in me."

"Am I that predictable?"

"No. It's what any rational person would do in this situation. Did you see all that you wanted to see?"

_A guide in this cage, hmm? _"I want to see Theed."

"I want never gets, Princess," the woman said, and Leia could hear the amusement in her voice.

"I would _like _to see Theed. I was planning on visiting when I was so rudely interrupted."

Silence. Finally, Cordé sighed. "Very well. You like ice cream, I trust?"

**Perrine's **had the best ice cream Leia had ever tasted, but she refused to say as much.

Granted, she hadn't had much ice cream; she wasn't fond of sweets under most circumstances.

"Well?" asked Cordé, who had gotten herself a fruit flavour that Leia didn't know.

"It's okay," she answered.

They were sitting at a booth in a dark corner of the store — a store that, to Leia's amusement, seemed to double as a bar as well as an ice cream parlour.

Seeing Cordé look at something over on the other side of the store, she began to search for an escape.

"Don't even think about it, kiddo."

Leia jumped back at the deep, masculine voice, and she lifted her gaze into the barrel of a blaster. She stiffened, and lifted her gaze higher. The man before her had dark skin, a shaved head, and wore an apron. He carried a tray with drinks, balanced on the hand that held the blaster. "I'm not a child."

"Call it an endearment," he answered. "Every imp that comes in here gets one."

"I am _not _with the empire!" she snarled, slamming the cup of ice cream on the table. She could feel her cheeks flaming with anger, and she gripped the cup so tightly her knuckles were white.

He held up his hands placatingly. "You are with Her Majesty's handmaiden; what was I to assume?"

"How-"

"_Jenks," _grumbled Cordé.

"Hey, handmaiden, she was trying to escape."

"I _know_ that."

"Oh." He looked closer, trying to peer under the hood. "Who are you?"

"Cordé."

He nodded, his handsome features adopting a satisfied expression. "You're an oldie."

Leia lurched to her feet. "Who," she demanded, not caring that she was interrupting, "is he?"

Cordé stood as well. "Jenks is the son of Her Majesty's most loyal advisor, Sabé. He owns this place. Every single employee here is pro-empire. All of them can fight, wield weapons, and would die in the empress's name." She leaned closer. "You can't get out of here." She turned to Jenks. "This is Princess Leia, of Alderaan."

He holstered the blaster, peering at her curiously. He then bowed, deeply, graciously, without facetiousness. "I should have known. You look like your ma. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

Leia felt the fury inside her quickly replace itself with dread. That comparison made her cringe. From members inside the palace, she had expected it, but here? Even if it was run by the imps, it was different.

She swallowed.

THIS is life threatening," Mace Windu said. "If Padmé convinces her to train under Vader, they will be unstoppable.

"We think she would be stronger than you if versed in the Dark, Luke," he added, seeing the youngest Jedi open his mouth. "You have known anger, fear, sadness, but you have never truly used it. Leia has, for her entire life, controlled every emotion she felt, and when she would feel them, and how much she could feel. The Dark Side is all about controlling such emotions. She would learn, very quickly, and her power would, potentially, be greater. Inversely, if she were a Jedi, her power would be weakened by her constantly fighting such emotions."

Obi-Wan said, "This is a theory, of course. Hopefully nothing will happen."

"And nothing will!" Bail Organa said emphatically. "She is emotional, of course, but she has excellent self control, and she knows when she is being manipulated. She handled the Senate, for gods' sake, she can handle one empress!"

Obi-Wan glanced at him. "People once called Amidala the voice of the senate. If Leia once bowed to that, chances are she will bow again."

"Not if she doesn't want to," Luke interjected.

But Bail seemed to be considering that statement. "Padmé always managed to get under everyone's skin," he murmured. "You didn't know you were being manipulated until you were manipulated, basically. I-"

His comlink sounded. He glanced at it. "I don't know who this is," he murmured, "so if you gentlemen will excuse me for a few moments…" He stepped away, and said, "Hello?"

Luke, Obi-Wan, and Mace all could hear the soft, feminine voice answer him. "Hello, Bail."

Instantly, the Jedi stepped closer, gesturing for the thunderstruck Bail to respond.

"Padmé," he answered, eventually, once he'd gathered himself. "How-how did you find-"

"I'm the empress. Do you have any idea how many resources I have at my fingertips? Especially without any restrictions, or at least people stopping me from violating the laws. Anyway, how have you been?"

"How have I-!" He struggled to stay calm. "I'm fine, fine. You?"

"I'm well, thank you. I wanted to discuss Leia with you-"

"There is nothing to discuss," he snapped, his anger finally setting in once the shock had faded away. "You will give my daughter back now." The second he finished speaking, he knew he'd misspoken. He waited for her snap back.

"Six months," she said, quietly, almost sadly — the exact opposite of what he had planned. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the expression of wonder on Luke's face, and the expression of distrust on Obi-Wan's. Windu was emotionless.

She continued: "Six months, and you can pick her up. She agreed to that."

_She got to her already? _

"Well, I suppose 'agree' is a relative term," Padmé added, almost as an afterthought. "I informed her, and she threw _another_ fit, but I will let her go in six months."

"I don't believe you." The words slipped out before he could help it, but he could see the Jedi nodding in agreement, Luke included. "Why would I trust you now, Padmé?"

"I wish, Bail, that I could answer that. Nothing I can tell you will ease your mind."

"Let me speak with Leia."

"She's not with me."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Believe what you wish, Bail. I can only give information; how you interpret it is your choice. She's in the town, with a few of my handmaidens, eating ice cream. I suppose I can have her call you later." She paused, hummed, and added, "Six months from yesterday. I shall speak to you soon. Evening, Bail, Master Kenobi, Master Windu. Luke."

And the line fell silent.

BACK on Naboo, Padmé smiled.


End file.
